Riptide
by maranoismylife
Summary: Jason and Bianca Pines made a deal with Bill Cipher to save their newborn daughter. The deal? Save Mabel Pines and in return,she would become his at eighteen.(don't read, more for personal entertainment. Read at risk)
1. Chapter 1

Bianca could only watch anxiously as her husband paced back and forth in her hospital room.

His dark hair was messier than she had ever seen it, his brown eyes glared down at the floor in a mixture of grief and worry that had never been present in the seven years that she had known him. She could only continue to stare hopelessly at him, trying to contain the tears that were threatening to spill from her own eyes.

''He's going to be here soon, Jace. It'll be okay''

Jason froze, tiredly rubbing his face into his hands. ''I should be the one telling you that, not the other way around''

He walked over to her bed, grabbing her hand into his and planting a gentle kiss on it.

Even with the visible dark circles under his eyes and dry lips, she could swear there was no man with a kinder heart then the one by her side.

''You know I have faith that our little Mabel is going to be just fine'' she mumbled, forcing a small smile on her lips for Jason's sake. ''I know the doctors said she most likely won't make it, but I have hope that she will''

''I do too, B'' Jason nodded slightly. ''But it's terrifying to think that our little Martin could grow up without his twin sister…and us without our daughter''

Bianca turned away at that, a tear escaping her eyes before she could stop it.

After all, the two twenty five year olds had been so excited when they had discovered she was pregnant eight months ago and their joy had only grown when they found out they were having twins; a boy and a girl.

Now the two sat in her hospital room waiting for Jason's uncle, while their two premature babies laid in another room; one healthy and the other one fighting for her life.

Her heart couldn't break any more than it already had just thinking about her little baby girl wrapped up in wires.

But she knew she had to remain optimistic; at least one of them had to.

''You know, when they let us see Martin and Mabel, I thought they were absolutely identical to you''

For the first time in hours, she saw a sincere grin make its way to his face as he placed her hand on his cheek. ''You really think so?''

''Of course. They have your dark hair and big brown eyes. They couldn't be any more Pines''

Jason took a deep breath, his eyes tearing up themselves. ''I love them so much, Bianca. I don't want to lose my little girl''

''And we won't. We'll do whatever we can to save her, I mean it'' she frowned, placing her forehead against his.

He didn't have a chance to say anything else, as an older man with glasses and a black coat burst in with concern in his eyes.

''Jason, Bianca'' he cried out, rushing to their side. ''How are they?''

Jason let go of her hand, his gaze falling back down to his feet. ''The doctors said that Martin is just fine but-'' Bianca could see the agony that invaded her husband's face as he struggled to continue. ''Mabel didn't develop as quickly as Martin did and they don't think she's going to make it''

The man's face saddened even more, the wrinkles on his forehead becoming visible. ''Oh, kid-''

''Uncle Stan'' As Jace threw himself onto Stan and began to sob heavily in his arms, Bianca could only turn on her side and cry along.

Her body ached from recently giving birth, and yet her mind was so focused on what she knew was inevitable.

For months, she had become so enlightened with the thought of having her twins with her; putting them in similar Halloween costumes, baking their birthday cakes, singing them both to sleep and witnessing those brother/sister moments between the two.

Countless hours were spent daydreaming about what was ahead, and she knew Jason and her weren't going to be the most perfect parents that there ever were, but she also knew that the love she had for her son and daughter was infinite and beyond any imperfection.

And just thinking about going through life without Mabel made her feel weak and nauseous; the only thing that kept her together was knowing that at least her little Martin was healthy.

''But how? I know they weren't due for another month-''

''Her lungs aren't well developed and her heartbeat was very frail when she was first born'' Jason said under his breath, sniffing. ''They told us only a miracle could save her''

His uncle's stare only became more horrified. ''Have you at least seen them?''

''We have'' Bianca spoke, as the two men turned their attention to her. ''They're so tiny but they look so much like Jace''

''Oh, Bianca dear'' Stan said, grabbing her hand and patting it softly. ''Is there anything I can do to help?''

''Actually there is'' Jason had straightened himself up again, now lifting his head up high. ''We need your help to contact the other side''

Stan crossed his arms across his chest, leaning against the bed. ''What do you mean?''

''We need to contact Bill Cipher''

Silence filled the room as Bianca stared between the two Pines.

Jason had told her all about the two summers he had spent with his two uncles in a town in Oregon by the name of Gravity Falls when he was seventeen. Apparently, along with his uncle Ford, they had uncovered many mysteries in the town involving a dream demon by the name of Bill Cipher. He wasn't a good demon, according to Jason, and Ford had fallen under one of his tricks. That was what led to the man going missing after building a portal, and Uncle Stan had yet to find his brother.

Jason and Bianca had both fallen so desperate at hearing the news that their daughter wouldn't make it, that the first thing that came to mind was that the creature could in fact save her.

It was a risk without a doubt, but their first priority was to do anything they possibly could do to save little Mabel.

''No. No way, Kid!'' Stan yelled, shaking his head furiously. ''It's too dangerous!''

''It's the only way, Uncle Stan!''

''He tricked Ford, why wouldn't he do the same to you?'' Stan grabbed ahold of his nephew's shoulders, shaking him.

Jason pushed him off, wiping tears from his eyes. ''I don't care! You don't know what it's like to have a kid who's dying! You don't understand!''

Stan's face softened, reaching into his coat and pulling out a brown book with a number written on the cover.

He sighed. ''You're making a big mistake, Jason, but if you insist''

He opened the book, scanning through the pages. ''Lucky for you, I always carry around the book Ford told me to hide. Remember?''

Jason nodded slowly, as the book was handed to him. ''It tells you how to summon him up in that page. It has to be quick, though. Stupid demon can't be more than a few minutes away from Gravity Falls''

Jason turned to a nervous Bianca, who couldn't manage to let out a word.

''Ready?'' he asked.

She nodded, and he kissed her dirty blond hair before beginning to mumble the words written in the book.

A bright light began to emerge from thin air as a golden triangle with one eye and a cane in his hand appeared.

Bianca had to rub her eyes a few times to confirm just what she was seeing.

'' Well if it isn't Stanley Pines!'' the floating triangle turned to Jason, flying to him closely. ''And little Jason! Haven't seen you around in years!''

There was a strange and rather dry laugh that escaped the demon, much to the two men's annoyance.

''Quit it, Cipher, we summoned you up for a reason'' Stan said through gritted teeth.

The triangle narrowed his eye down at him, turning to a nervous Jason.

''My daughter… she might not make it'' Jason stuttered out.

Bill didn't seem affected, as he began playing with the cane in his hand. ''What a shame. But what does that have to do with me?''

''We need you to save her'' all heads turned to Bianca, who now put in an effort to sit up on her hospital bed. ''Please, save our baby''

''Ah, Bianca Pines! Daughter of Justin and Juliet Lucas and wife of Jason Pines. Pleasure to meet you, attractive human!''

As he attempted to float closer to her, she was relieved that Jason and Stan stood in front of her with angry expressions.

''don't you dare go near her'' Jason muttered in a way that made chills run down Bianca's spine.

Bill let out a playful growl, doing a flip in the air. ''Don't be like that, Jason. I was simply admiring her obvious beauty-''

Suddenly, a realization came to the demon's face and Bianca couldn't help thinking that if he had a mouth, he would've surely been smirking in that moment.

''I'll make you a deal! I'll save that daughter of yours-''

''Mabel'' Bianca stated. ''Her name is Mabel''

Bill let out an irritated noise. ''I'll save _Mabel_ , but on one condition''

''And what's that?'' asked Stan.

''Well, I have been feeling lonely recently and blondie there is quite the looker-''

''I know what you want, Bill'' Jason shouted, and Bianca grabbed his arm to hold him back. ''And if you think I'll let you take my wife, you're a-''

''It's not your wife I want, Pines!'' Bill continued to play with his cane. ''It's your daughter!''

The three adults turned to each other with wide eyes, and Bianca felt her heart drop.

''What? With Blondie's genes, and hopefully none of the Pines, that girl is going to be killer if you know what I mean!''

''No deal!'' Jason cried out, and Stan looked ready to murder someone.

Bill simply shrugged. ''I only have two minutes left- and will you look at that? Your little Mabel's heartbeat is dropping''

An alarm began to go off at a distance, and the sound of heavy footsteps and shouting's began to invade the hallway.

''what are you doing to her?'' Stan tried to grab him, but Bill easily flew from his reach.

''Oh, I'm not doing anything, Stan Pines! Time's running out! Tic Toc!''

''Okay, okay, we have a deal!'' shouted Bianca, frantically, still hearing the alarms go off.

She couldn't take it; she couldn't take it at all if her baby died.

Not when she could do something to stop it; even if it meant she'd regret it later. ''Please, just save her!''

Bill extended his hand, but before she shook it, she said ''But only after she turns eighteen. Until then, you cannot have her''

Bill rolled his only eye, shaking her hand. ''Fine, deal''

The demon snapped his fingers, and the alarm stopped going off. ''There she's fine now. Don't forget, the day she turns eighteen, she'll be mine forever''

With a wink (or rather blink), he disappeared.

Stan collapsed into a chair in the corner of the room as Jason turned to his wife in utter disbelief. ''What did you do?''

Bianca could only think about her two healthy babies that would soon be in her arms. ''I did what we had to. For now, we'll cherish every moment we can with her''

They tried not to think about it a few hours later when the two babies were finally brought into the room.

After all, eighteen was too many years away.

 **IN THIS STORY DIPPER'S REAL NAME IS MARTIN BUT THE NAME WILL ONLY BE USED IN THIS CHAPTER AND LATER ON WILL BE REFERED TO AS DIPPER.**

 **ALSO I CHANGED FORD AND STAN'S STORY THAT THEY ACTUALLY LIVED TOGETHER IN GRAVITY FALLS AND JASON VISITED AND THEY SOLVED MISTERIES AND STUFF UNTIL FORD FELL INTO THE PORTAL AND DISAPIERED. JASON KNOWS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE UNCLES IN THIS STORY AND BILL CAN BE OUT OF GRAVITY FLLS BUT ONLY FOR A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME.**

 **I hope you like this story! Review and favor! AND HAPPY NEW YEARS I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST! I love you! ~Lexi**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, THIS IS IMPORTANT.**

 **THIS STORY IS FOR PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT AND IS BASED ON WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN SO IM SORRY IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING BUT IM JUST GOING OFF OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN. IF ITS NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA, THEN FEEL FREE TO UNFOLLOW BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONTINUE READING THEN GO HEAD (:**

 **Not my best chapter, honestly lol because I had to switch up a part and it didn't come out as good.**

 **Thank you for your kind reviews c: they honestly made my new years so much more special to know that I'm doing something right xD**

Chapter 2

Mabel had forgotten just how alive Gravity Falls really was, and as she stepped out of the old bus with her suitcase in one hand and her brother by her side, it had all her hit her too suddenly.

As the screeching tires of the bus rolled away and out of view, her eyes wandered around the familiar and welcoming place that she had spent her summer at almost four years ago.

The giant pine trees still stood tall, the birds still chirped and the fresh Oregon air could still be felt; almost like nothing had changed all those years ago.

Almost like she was twelve again.

''Gravity Falls, it's good to be back!'' she shrieked happily, taking a deep breath.

Dipper let out his usual thinking noise, looking around thoughtfully. ''Wow, This place hasn't changed at all''

''Nope. Isn't it great?''

Dipper could only shrug. ''Yeah, I guess.''

Mabel leaned her arm on her brother's shoulder (which wasn't that easy because he was taller than her at this point and she was still pissed about it). ''Can you believe it? We're going to be living here from now on''

Her brother didn't say anything, and honestly, she didn't think he'd respond either way.

''Oh, lighten up, dipping sauce. Living here will be great like old times. We'll go on mysteries, save the town, watch-''

They turned to each other, shouting at the same time (much to her surprise). ''duck- tective!''

They laughed, for what felt like the first time in forever.

''I forgot about that show'' she said, letting out one last snort.

Dipper gave her a small smile, ruffling her hair with his hand much to her annoyance. ''Yeah, well we've been gone longer than we thought we would be''

''I still don't understand why our parents didn't let us come back after we told them everything'' Mabel frowned, sighing. ''We had so much fun''

''Maybe because you told them about fighting a dream demon, I'm guessing'' her brother responded, with sarcasm.

Mabel chuckled at the memory of her parents' horrified expressions as she continued to go on about their summer back when they were twelve.

It seemed like only yesterday that she had left what little remained of the town.

Before either of the two could say anything, the sound of an engine came to their ears, and they couldn't help but smile at the sight of their Grunkle's old red car swerving their way.

'' 'Aye, kids'' Stan called out, as he got out of the car and slammed the car door.

Ford followed behind him, his eyes staring at his brother in irritation.

''Grunkle Stan! Great Uncle Ford!'' she shouted, throwing her arms around the two of them.

The last time she had seen them was at their parents' funeral, and the twins would have returned to Gravity Falls with them had they not still been in school.

She was just glad her parents had chosen them to take care of her and Dipper.

She felt Ford hug back while Stan awkwardly patted her head.

''Hello, Mabel!'' Ford's joyful voice called out.

''Okay, that's enough, kiddo'' Stan's grumpy voice let out.

She pulled away and smiled as she watched Dipper greet their Uncles.

Placing their suitcases in the trunk, the four got into the car (Mabel had long forgotten about Stan's horrible driving skills and she had suddenly regretted eating so many sweets in the bus) and not long after, they found themselves parked in front of the old Mystery Shack.

It was the same crumbling building; the big, red letter S from ''Shack'' still hadn't been fixed next to the other letters, so the sign simply read ''Mystery Hack''.

It wasn't the prettiest thing she had ever seen, but she loved that place almost like a second home.

She just couldn't wait to go back to her awaiting bed.

''Race you to the attic!'' she elbowed Dipper in the rib before taking off into the building.

She heard him shout something about their luggage and being sixteen, but she didn't care enough to listen.

Once she reached the attic, a smile spread across her lips.

Home, was all she could think.

They spent the next hour unpacking; Dipper pulling out all his books and herself placing some posters on the walls.

It wasn't until she looked over at Dipper that she saw that same strained look on his face as he pulled out the old leather jacket their dad had given him; the same one that had accompanied him since they had first received the news that their parents had died.

Instantly, she felt the weight that she had left behind in California, reach her once again.

After all, it had only been a month since their parents had died and it had been far too hard on the two of them, even if they wouldn't admit it.

Mabel was still hurting, without a doubt, but she knew she had to stay optimistic; she just had to, for her brother's sake.

''Dipper, I know it's hard without mom and dad'' her voice got caught in her throat for a moment, as she took a seat on her bed. ''But we have a chance to start over again here with Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford. I'm just asking that you put a little effort in being happy here, for me''

Her brother sighed, straightening the same pine tree hat he had worn for years before turning to look at her. ''It's not that easy, Mabel-''

''I know it's not, and it's not any more easy for me, but I just want to be happy again'' was all she could say, shrugging her shoulders and beginning to play with the maroon cupcake sweater she was currently wearing. ''Or at least convince myself to be''

Because the truth was, she didn't think she could ever truly be happy without her mom and dad.

Dipper could never know that; nobody could.

Dipper turned to her, walking and taking a seat next to her.

He took a deep breath, looking down at his feet. ''you're right, Mabel. I guess it's time that we learn to be in our own''

''Oh, Dipper, we'll never be on our own.'' She bumped her shoulder with his, providing a small smile. ''We still have Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford, and I like to believe that mom and dad are taking care of us from above''

That made her brother smile slightly, and she knew that they would be okay. ''Me too. Mystery twins?''

She nodded, pulling her brother into a side hug. ''Mystery twins''

That night, they helped each other decorate their side of their room before having dinner with their uncles (Ford's cooking, of course).

It was so much like old times, she often had to stop herself from saying something along the lines of ''Let me take a video for dad!'' or ''Mom would love this!''.

The only thing that Mabel was certain of was that time would heal.

Bill couldn't agree more, and as he viewed his shooting star getting ready for bed from the shadows, he couldn't help but smirk to himself.

He still had to wait two more years to have her, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun and get to know Mabel Pines better.

After all, she would become his forever.

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, Mabel had awoken to the sound of birds chirping and their great Uncles fighting. Having looked to her side and spotting her brother's bed empty, she took no time to jump out of bed and race downstairs(her pajamas still on).

She smiled when she saw her Grunkle Stan flipping a stancake in the pan with the spatula, Great Uncle Ford going off about how wrong the current stove temperature was and a dressed Dipper simply flipping through a gray newspaper and sipping out of a coffee mug.

Watching her take a seat next to him in the kitchen table, he offered her a smile. ''Good morning''

''Good morning, bro bro'' she yawned, stretching out her arms. ''What time is it?''

''Nine forty five'' Dipper responded, looking at the watch wrapped around his wrist. ''Guess you were tired from the long trip''

Stan walked to them, two plates in his hands as he placed them in front of them. ''There you go, kids. Good ol' Stancakes''

Grabbing their forks and beginning to eat the rather burned pancakes they had been so used to years ago, Mabel swallowed happily. ''Wow, I didn't realize just how much I missed your stancakes, Grunkle Stan''

The grouchy man straightened up, proudly while his twin brother simply huffed while crossing his arms across his chest. ''And they would be better if Stanley bothered to cook properly''

They went back to their bickering, as Dipper and her both let out a laugh.

Dipper took a deep breath, lifting up his pine tree hat and running his fingers through his hair. ''So, hey, I was thinking maybe you and I could take a stroll through the forest''

Mabel raised an eyebrow, taking a bite. ''Why?''

''It's been years since we've gone there. Just think of all the new mysteries there are and all the creatures there are to discover''

Mabel felt that eerie feeling of concern she had felt back when they had been twelve year old kids. Dipper had become so obsessed with all the strange happenings that they had experienced in the much so, that it led to his paranoia and distrust of everyone. And by everyone, it included her, and Mabel had to admit that although she loved Gravity Falls, she was just glad her brother would return back to the down to earth guy he really was instead of the obsessed maniac he had become.

The words he had just spoken scared her more than anything.

''Dipper-'' she sighed, and she saw her brother's face twist into a completely different expression.

''I know what you're gonna say'' he said, waving his hands in front of her. ''And I promise I won't freak out like last time''

''I don't know-'' she said, looking uncertainly down at her uneaten stancake. She really didn't know if she should believe him; she wanted to, but it also seemed like the perfect thing to distract him from all the change that was happening in their lives.

''Come on, Mabel. It'll be the perfect brother-sister bonding'' Dipper urged. ''Please''

Mabel took a deep breath, lifting her hands up in defeat. ''Fine, but no looking for creatures and solving mysteries!''

''Deal!'' Dipper smiled, high fiving her, and turning his head to their two uncles. ''Grunkle Stan, Great Uncle Ford, can we go out into the forest''

Turning from their argument (Stan was stubborn and Ford was just up for a debate about anything), they looked at them uncaringly.

''What? Oh, um, sure. Knock yourselves out'' Stan replied, and turned back at yelling at Ford.

Dipper and Mabel rolled their eyes.

The older Pines twins hadn't changed one bit.

They left the shack right after breakfast; Mabel rapidly changing into a purple sweater with the picture of her favorite band all over it, some blue shorts and some black converse shoes.

With her hair pulled from her face with a purple hairband, she was more than ready to head out. They began walking through the usual path, the tall trees towering over them and strange sounds echoing throughout the forest. She realized just how many adventures she had encountered there, and it made her chuckle just thinking about the crazy gnomes that had attempted to make her their gnome queen.

She wondered what they could possibly be up to now.

''This is nice'' Dipper spoke, glancing around the place.

Mabel nodded, as a small gust of wind blew into her face. ''Yeah. It is, isn't it? Here bonding with my brother''

She playfully punched his arm, at which he laughed. He suddenly froze in place, his eyes widening at the sight of a glowing flower from a distance. She didn't recognize the flower, and she could see Dipper didn't either by the way his excitement grew.

''You don't mind if I go check that out, right?'' he asked, already taking small steps towards the plant.

Mabel growled in irritation. ''Dipper, you promised!''

''Yeah, I know but technically it's not a creature or mystery. Please, you just have to stand here and wait for a few minutes''

''Fine,'' she replied, taking a deep breath. ''Go''

''Thanks, I'll make it up to you when we get back home'' he smiled, before walking off.

Now she was left to stand there, only able to observe her surroundings. She loved Dipper, and if she wanted him to heal from their parents' death, she knew she had to eventually give into going on whatever adventure he wanted to. She was just glad he was distracted for now.

''Miss me, shooting star?'' the voice was so unexpected, so chilling, it caused goosebumps to rise over her entire body.

She turned around, and she couldn't say she wasn't surprised when she saw Bill standing there. Except this wasn't Dorito, isosceles triangle Bill; no, he was a human. With gold blond hair, silver eyes (one covered by a triangular eyepatch) and a yellow suit, although attractive in his own way, it made Mabel shiver even more.

Suddenly it was like every encounter she'd had with the dream demon had come back to her and she struggled to even get any words out of her mouth.

He seemed to notice as a dry grin made its way onto his lips. ''I'll take that as a yes''

''What are you doing here, Bill?'' she asked, stuttering. ''We got rid of you years ago''

''Oh, doll, you can never get rid of me'' a cane appeared in his hand, and he took that opportunity to pull her in by the waist with it.

Mabel wanted to cry out for Dipper, watching him from a distance as he examined a petal from the glowing flower. He seemed too entertained with it; not bothering to even look her way.

''don't bother'' she heard Bill's suave voice mumble in her ear. ''I put that flower to distract him there. Wouldn't want him in the way''

''What are you talking about, Bill?''

''See you and I go back a long time ago, you know'' he sang mockingly, walking around her in a circle with his hands behind his back.

Mabel knew that. She'd been twelve years old when she had first met him; of course it'd be considered as some time ago.

''Just get to the point'' she said, while gritting her teeth.

Bill smirked, tilting her chin up so that they were eye to eye. ''I think it's time you and I get to know each other better. After all, we will be spending a lot of time together either way''

Mabel looked at him, obviously confused.

What did that mean?

What could possibly make him think that they would be spending time together?

''If you're wondering why, just ask your lovely Grunkle Stan'' she was about to ask how he knew, when he placed his cold finger to her lips. ''don't forget, I can read minds''

He tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, and Mabel could only turn her head to make the least contact. She didn't trust him, not one bit.

''Well, I guess it's time I get going'' he grabbed ahold of her hand, planting a rather detached kiss on it before beginning to take a few steps back. ''See you soon, shooting star''

He sent her a wink, and with that, he was gone.

Mabel did her best to remain composed as her brother walked back to her, clear admiration on his face. He examined her for a few seconds, his eyes then turning to her in confusion.

''Are you alright, Mabel?''

She nodded, wiping the wet spot where Bill had kissed her against her sweater. ''Peachy. Let's go back now''

Dipper shrugged his shoulders, and as they made their way back to the shack, he continued to go on about whatever things he wanted to do the next day.

She had tried to pay attention, she really had, but a thought kept swarming through her mind.

What did their Grunkle Stan have anything to do with what Bill had said?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _Bianca smiled, staring down at the baby boy in her arms and gently running her fingers through his cheek. His brown eyes were wide awake, his hair having grown longer and his small lips were curled up in a smile. His birthmark was more defined, and she smiled even wider just thinking about just how much it resembled the little Dipper._

 _She turned to her side and looked at her husband, who grinned down at the baby girl giggling in his arms. ''I swear, I'm falling even more in love with them every day''_

 _Jason cracked a smile, leaning his back against the couch. ''Yeah, I know. I never thought I'd love anyone as much as I love them''_

 _Bianca raised an eyebrow, causing him to chuckle. ''And you, of course''_

 _She pulled Dipper closer, planting a kiss on his forehead. His eyes weren't directed to her, though; no, they were directed at his twin sister who was now reaching for him._

 _She turned to Jason, who simply watched in amusement. ''Wow, these two are going to be the best of friends when they grow up''_

'' _Yeah, tell me about it'' his eyes suddenly turned serious, as he turned to look at her. ''Bianca, do you regret making the deal?''_

 _The words hit her too hard, and she snapped her head to stare down at her baby daughter._

 _For the past six months, she had been far too occupied with handling her twins and had used that as an excuse to throw the haunting thought to the back of her head._

 _Yet, she couldn't help but admit, that at night the memory of what she had done haunted her. She loved Mabel with the purest love she could possibly offer, and knowing her daughter would end up belonging to a demon, consumed every single piece of her._

 _But her little girl was alive, the baby she had waited for with anticipation was alive and that was enough to tame her motherly heart._

 _So with her head held high, and a firm look on her face, she finally responded. ''No, Jace, I don't''_

'' _But doesn't it scare you? Knowing that the moment she turns eighteen, she'll be taken from us?'' he stared down at Mabel, leaning his forehead against his little one._

 _Bianca could only sigh, playing with Dipper's small fingers. ''Of course it does, but all I know is that she's safe and sound for now and that's enough for me''_

 _Jason placed an arm around her shoulder, staring down at the twins on their laps, who held their arms out for each other. ''You're right. Plus, we'll be there to protect them both through it all''_

 _She smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder and staring down at her two children. ''Yeah we will''_

Mabel was bored, extremely bored, as she walked around the Mystery Shack store for the hundredth time. Her feet had grown rather tired of doing so, and she often let out a grunt, watching her shoes take each miserable step.

Dipper remained behind the counter, his head resting on his palm as he flipped through an old magazine with the same bored expression on his face. He didn't say anything, though; just continued to look through the pictures and long storylines as if they were actually interesting.

It was a Thursday after all, so it wasn't like there were going to be any customers to attend to. But their great uncles had asked them to watch the store while they left to get groceries, and they felt a responsibility to do so; even if they would end up dying from boredom.

''Hey, Dip'' Mabel spoke, walking up to her brother and leaning against the counter. ''How do you think Soos and Wendy are doing?''

Soos and Wendy had been previous employees at the Mystery Shack and had been what had made their shifts so easy going. But they were gone now, and she was just beginning to realize just how different working was without them.

Dipper shrugged, closing the magazine and pushing it away. ''Well, Wendy's off in college having the time of her life like she always said she would. Wouldn't surprise me if she found herself a boyfriend''

She smiled at that, thinking back to the laid back, red haired girl. Dipper had developed the biggest crush on her the summer they had first visited, and it had been so entertaining to watch him struggle through it. Mabel had seen it from the very beginning though (she knew her brother like the back of her hand), and it broke her heart knowing Wendy would never see Dipper as anything other than a friend due to their age.

Now hearing him mention her again just made her realize just how she missed the girl.

''Miss her?'' she sang, with a grin.

She could see a light shade of red appear on Dipper's cheeks. ''What? No, of course not!''

''If you say so. What about Soos?''

''I'm not sure, probably still off in New York with Melody. Grunkle Stan told me yesterday that they're planning to visit soon''

''Really? Oh, I can't wait!'' Mabel jumped up, clasping her hands together. ''I felt so bad when we couldn't come to the wedding''

''I know. I still don't know why mom and dad wouldn't even let us come to that! I mean it was Soos and Melody!''

''Oh we were so mad at them!'' Mabel laughed, but it was only half sincere. ''We didn't talk to them for a week''

Dipper laughed too, but his laugh was even weaker as he rubbed the back of his neck. ''Yeah. Can't believe that was just two years ago''

Mabel was about to speak, but was cut off by the door to the store opening. A tall, curvy blonde girl stood there; her dark blue eyes staring between her and her brother, and her golden hair reaching down to her waist. She wore a baby blue dress that reached halfway down her thigh, with a white belt to show off her waist and a pair of blue boots.

She almost hadn't recognized her, but suddenly it clicked and she let out a yelp that snapped the stunned look off of Dipper's face. ''Pacifica?''

The blonde girl nodded her head, grinning. ''Hey, Mabel''

Mabel wasted no time running to her and pulling her into an embrace. It was a few seconds later that she felt Pacifica hug back, but she didn't mind; she knew it had been hard for her to do something as simple as that years ago.

''How've you been? We haven't seen you in forever!" she shouted.

Pacifica laughed, and she could tell it was a sincere one. ''I see you haven't changed one bit. I've been good, still trying to be a better person every day'' she flipped her hair over her shoulder. ''How are you, Mabel? I just heard yesterday that you and Dipper moved here to Gravity Falls''

Her eyes flicked to Dipper, who was awkwardly making his way next to Mabel.

Mabel nodded, chuckling to herself. ''Yeah, we did. Our parents died, and they left our great uncles in charge, so here we are-''

The atmosphere had changed the second she had said that, and she saw Pacifica's eyes twist with sympathy. She was used to it from her friends back in Piedmont, so she simply decided to shake it off.

''Hey, Dipper! You haven't even said hi to Pacifica yet!'' she said, elbowing him in the rib.

Dipper smiled, and she noticed the way his eyes were looking at everything but at the girl right in front of him. ''Oh, um, hi Pacifica''

Pacifica smiled back, probably at how low Dipper's voice had gotten. ''Hey, Dipper. You look great''

''Thanks, you look good too'' he said, sheeply, much to everyone's amusement. ''Not that you never looked good! I remember how you looked like years ago. Am I still talking? I should stop talking''

Mabel smirked at him, while Pacifica simply giggled. 'Well, I'm flattered. I thought surely the Mystery Twins would've forgotten about me by now''

''After everything we went through when we were twelve?'' Mabel waved away her hand, huffing. ''Never''

''Well, I'd really like to catch up. Do you guys have time to go get some pizza?''

Dipper and Mabel both turned to each other, thinking the same thing. ''That sounds great, but we're currently stuck here taking care of the mystery shack'' Dipper let out.

Pacifica frowned with her perfectly glossed, pink lips. ''Aw, that sucks. Any way you guys can sneak out?''

''I thought you said you were trying to be a better person'' Mabel joked, crossing her arms.

The blonde sent her a sly grin, flipping her hair over her shoulder once again. ''I'm a Northwest, what can I say?''

After much time trying to convince Dipper to go (''Come on, Dipping Sauce! Let's go get pizza!'' ''Mabel, our uncles are counting on us!'' ''Same old Dipper strikes again'' ''Hey, I heard that, Pacifica!''), they settled to wait until their uncles returned. Grunkle Stan and Great Uncle Ford arrived only half an hour later, carrying in bags and surprised to see a Northwest in their home.

However, they made no hesitation to let them go out and ''Get used to the town again'', or so they said. It was after that they finally arrived at the mall in Pacifica's car that many flashbacks flew through Mabel's head.

She laughed to herself, thinking back to the time when she and Dipper had attempted to help Soos get a date. It was a disaster, but she was just glad that he had found his true love. Was it weird if she thought about who hers was?

''I remember this mall,'' Mabel sighed happily, taking a seat next to Pacifica and setting down a large peperoni pizza in front of them.

Dipper took a seat across from her, handing each of them their drinks. ''Yeah, the same people still go here, including us''e

''Yeah, there's really not much else to this town. I mean, besides the whole apocalypse and strange happenings and crap'' Pacifica smirked, taking a bite of her slice of pizza.

At that moment, Mabel could've sworn she heard Bill's dry laugh far too close to where she was sitting. But as she looked around, and only saw everyone else sitting in the food court chatting, she could only wonder why the paranoia from what had happened in the wood days ago, still followed her.

''So how's life treating you, Pacifica?'' Dipper asked, sipping form his drink. ''Your parents still giving you a hard time?''

''Actually my parents divorced a year after you left. Turns out the whole 'end of the word' thing scared them more than I thought, and my mom decided she didn't want to stay here any longer. So one day she just threw divorce papers at my father, grabbed her suitcases and left''

Pacifica didn't seem affected at all as she spoke, taking another bite of her pizza. The same emotion she had seen in her friends' eyes back when she had told her their parents had died, was now in her own, and Mabel saw the same with her brother.

Except Dipper's face was even sadder, as he watched Pacifica's every move. ''I'm really sorry, Pacifica''

She only shrugged, sending him a small grin. ''I'm not. She was a nightmare, and ever since she left, my dad's been trying to fix our relationship. I mean, I don't see him much, but when I do he always makes sure to spend time with me''

''Well I'm happy you and your father are better now, Paz'' Mabel turned to her, in uncertainty. ''Can I call you that?''

''I don't see why not'' she laughed, grabbing ahold of her drink. ''It's just weird you know? I mean at the time I had no one to talk to about it. I was even tempted to ask your Uncles for your number, but somehow I managed to get through it''

''Give me your cellphone'' Dipper demanded, holding out his hand.

Pacifica raised an eyebrow. ''Why?''

''Just trust me''

She pulled a new phone out of her purse, and handed it to him. It was about a minute later that he returned it to her, much to Pacifica's confusion.

''I put mine and Mabel's phone numbers in there. If you ever need anything, just call''

Mabel stared between the two, clearly seeing something strange. Pacifica's face was brighter, obviously having been touched by her brother's kind act. Dipper still looked at her, his eyes staring straight into hers with a small grin on his face. If it wasn't for the fact that she knew about the bumpy history the two had had years ago, she would've thought for sure that the two had something going on.

And right now, she definitely felt like a third wheel. That was, until her eyes laded on a guy sitting at a table alone only a few feet away.

His dark eyes were staring at her in intrigue, his blond hair combed back and his built body leaning against his chair. He wore a red football jacket of some sort, and he grinned at her when he saw her looking at him.

He was handsome, without a doubt, and she could feel her cheeks burn up.

''Are you alright, Mabel?'' Dipper asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Pacifica's eyes turned to where she was looking, letting out a loud gasp. ''Oh my gosh! Mabel, Joshua Alton's looking at you''

She turned to Pacifica, nervously tugging on a strand of her hair. ''What? Who is he?''

''Talk about the most popular guy at school. Trust me, if he's looking at you, it's for a reason'' she said, winking.

Mabel could only let out a gentle squeal, while Dipper rolled his eyes. ''A reason? What reason would he have to be looking at me?''

''Uh, are you blind? You're hot!'' Paz said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She could only blink at that, refusing to stare back at the guy's obvious gaze. ''What are you talking about?''

''Look at you, Mabel, you're gorgeous! I mean you've always been really pretty, but you've gotten even more beautiful''

Mabel still couldn't get the thought through her mind. Sure her dark hair had grown longer, her body had developed, and they had finally taken her braces off; but that didn't mean she had gotten ''hot''. She'd always thought she was pretty in her own unique way, and now knowing some random guy thought so too, made her feel strange.

''Why are you so surprised? You got asked out hundreds of times back home'' Dipper growled, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the guy or because of the compliments Pacifica was spitting out.

''Yeah, I know, but I thought it was because of my mad knitting skills!'' she screeched, pointing to the pink sweater she was wearing. ''I never thought it was because someone actually found me attractive!''

''Quick! He's coming!'' Pacifica said, watching as the tall guy made his way to them.

He flashed her a smile, standing at her side with his hands in his pockets. ''Hey, I'm Joshua''

Suddenly it was like the twelve year old in her took over, as she found the flirty side to her start to come out. ''Hi I'm Mabel, but you can call me the girl of your dreams''

He chuckled, Pacifica leaned back watching in amusement, and Dipper smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.

''Cute and witty, I like that. How would the girl of my dreams like to go out this Friday?''

Mabel pretended to think. ''I'd say she'd love to.''

''Great, do you think maybe I could get her phone number?'' he handed her his phone, as she nodded.

She typed in her name and number, before returning it back to him. ''There you go''

''I'll text you'' he winked, grabbing ahold of her hand and kissing it.

It reminded her too much of her encounter with Bill, and as soon his lips pulled away, she did the same with her hand.

''Until next time, my lady'' he said, and with that, he walked off.

Mabel and Pacifica turned to each other grinning, as Dipper let out a growl. ''I don't like that guy''

''Why? He seems sweet'' Mabel sighed dreamily, looking down at her half eaten pizza. She wasn't obsessed with finding a boyfriend the way she had been at twelve, neither did she flirt with just any guy like she used to, but it felt nice to do so again.

Joshua did seem nice, and it was after all, a brand new start for her here in Gravity Falls.

''Yeah, but there's something off about him.'' He said, with the same look on his face he usually got when he dealt with a mystery.

Paz smirked, letting out a huff. ''Oh, please, the only thing off about him is that he's going on a date with your sister. You're just being a big baby about it''

''Am not'' Dipper argued back. ''I just think it's too soon for you to be going out with a guy you literally just met a few seconds ago''

''Aw, come on, Dipper! Don't be a party pooper! Who knows? Maybe you'll end up finding yourself a girlfriend here''

The girls had no mercy, laughing at her twin brother's blushing face.

.

.

.

She was in her darkened room; she sat at the edge of her bed and she could see Dipper sleeping just a few feet away from her.

The moonlight was the only thing that lid up the room, and the sound of distant crickets were the only sound that filled the silence.

She looked around, feeling eyes suddenly on her, but she saw nothing that hadn't been there.

At least, she thought she hadn't.

''Shooting Star, so very nice to see you again'' she heard his booming voice cry out from a darkened corner of the room, and his figure stepped out of the shadows soon after.

He was in his human form again, a smirk on his thin lips and his hands held behind his back. Mabel turned to Dipper, waiting for him to wake up and realize just who was there. But nothing happened, and instead her brother continued to sleep with his back to her.

''You're in the mindscape, he can't hear you'' Bill spoke, probably reading her thoughts.

She stood from the bed, glaring at him. ''What do you want, Bill? Why do you keep coming after me?''

''I told you this already. I'm here to spend time with you, shooting star''

''I don't want to,'' she shouted, stomping her foot. ''Just leave me alone''

The dream demon examined her, his eyes staring straight at her and she realized just what she had done. She should've remembered just how short his temper was, and she knew that getting him mad meant no compassion towards anything he ended up doing to her.

But instead of getting red like he usually did when he was angry, he simply let out a curious noise.

Grabbing a strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear, Mabel cringing the entire time, his lips curled up into a smile. ''Wow, you really are Bianca's daughter''

At the sound of her mother's name, her head shot up to stare at him. ''How do you know my mom?''

''Oh you'll find out soon, but I totally called it when I said you'd be killer''

She was more confused than ever, trying to get her head together. ''What?''

''You have Jason's eyes and hair, but you definitely have your mother's beauty. Wow, was she attractive for a human''

''You met my parents?''

She was practically chocking on air at this point, and hanging onto each of his words for dear life.

Bill smirked, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes. ''Met them, made a deal with them, what's the difference?''

''What was the deal?'' she asked, nervously. Her parents had never talked about a Bill Cipher, or even knowing the truth about Gravity Falls.

It didn't make sense, nothing made sense.

''Let's not talk about that. I want to know why you accepted to go on a date with that stupid football player'' this time his eyes had changed to more cynical ones, his words spitting out venom.

She was stunned at the sudden change of subject and attitude, as she took a step back. ''Wait, how do you know that?''

''I know everything, shooting star. Don't forget that'' he grabbed ahold of her wrists, pulling her closer. That's when she saw her hands begin to disappear, and as she looked down at the rest of her body, the same was happening.

Bill only let out an annoyed growl, cupping her face into his hands. ''I'm watching you, even when you think I'm not. This will all make sense to you soon, I promise''

He planted a kiss on her forehead, and suddenly, Mabel sat up from her bed with sweat dripping from her forehead.

She was breathing heavily back and forth, her eyes roaming around the room looking for any sign of the demon. She didn't see one, and as she finally began calming down, she realized just what had happened.

She had thought about awakening Dipper and telling him about it, but this was something that she needed to talk about with Stan tomorrow.

Needless to say, she didn't sleep for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _Bianca continued to stare at her three year old daughter from a distance, her eyes narrowed in concern and her breaths becoming shorter and shorter._

 _The girl sat on the floor, her toys surrounding her, along with a busy Dipper who dragged a toy truck around. Mabel wasn't playing with her toys like her brother was, however; she was simply talking. Except, she wasn't talking to herself; no, she was talking to her imaginary friend, Bill._

 _This had been going on for a while, and she had first noticed it about a month before. Her heart almost fell out of her chest when she heard her ''friend'''s name, but the reasonable side of her continued to argue that Bill was a common name probably heard in a cartoon or something. That side of her was rapidly found mistaken, seeing as when she asked Mabel, she'd describe him as ''yellow'' and ''funny looking''._

'' _Play, Bill, play!'' she shouted, clapping her hands and jumping on her spot. Her little dark braids jumped in the air along with her, and her chocolate brown eyes were shinning in enthusiasm. But Bianca had never been more afraid in her life; the thought of her daughter even knowing the demon's name haunted her to the core._

 _How could it not when that could only mean the demon was keeping an eye_ _ **(Author's note: no pun intended)**_ _on them? On her little girl, more specifically?_

 _She just couldn't help but sigh in relief as Jason finally arrived from work, walking through the front door. ''Jason, sweetie'' she called out, causing the twins to turn their heads to their father. They rose rapidly, calling out for him as he scooped them both into his arms. Placing them down with a gentle kiss on the forehead, Jason walked to her and attempted to kiss her._

 _Bianca, however, didn't let him, placing her hand in front of her mouth. ''Jace, it's happening again''_

 _That was enough for his face to turn into a stern expression, pressing his lips together. ''Again? I thought you said she hadn't done it in a few days''_

'' _Well, she is'' she nodded to Mabel, who talked vibrantly into thin air. ''Jace, I feel so helpless''_

 _Jace sighed, rubbing his face into his hands. ''Listen, just calm down. Let's just ask her about Bill, okay?''_

 _Bianca nodded, the two walking to their small daughter and kneeling down to her. ''Hey, Mabes'' Jason smiled, to which Mabel also grinned. ''Are you talking to Bill again?''_

 _She bobbed her head in a yes, causing Dipper to turn from playing with his truck. ''Daddy, she was talking with him all night and she didn't let me sleep''_

 _Bianca could only turn away, grabbing ahold of her husband's arm and squeezing it slightly._

'' _Mabel, is that true?''_

 _She nodded again, a frown appearing on her tiny lips._

'' _What's Bill telling you?'' Bianca asked, pulling her into her lap. The dark haired girl looked up at her, and then at a random spot in front of her. ''He's saying he's going to play with me forever!''_

 _Bianca and Jason turned to each other, with wide eyes. ''What else does he say?''_

'' _Bill doesn't like you, daddy, he doesn't want to talk to you'' and with that, she rose from her mother's lap and took a seat back on the floor, beginning to talk excitedly. Jason picked her up, with a look that Bianca could only describe as a mixture of worry and anger. ''Now you listen to me, Mabel, Bill does not exist'''_

'' _-Jace-''_

'' _He's not here, he's not a real person, so don't go acting like he is. You will not continue this!''_

'' _daddy, he's right there!'' Mabel pouted, her eyes becoming watery in a way that broke Bianca's heart._

'' _No, he's not! You will stop this right now'' he placed her down, only to stare down at a crying Mabel. Dipper, without hesitation, rose to his feet and comforted her with a side hug. Bianca looked at Jace, to see his face had twisted into regret. If anything, it was Jace who usually comforted the twins when one of them was crying, not the one causing it._

'' _come on, let's play with my truck!'' Dipper shouted, to which Mabel sniffed one last time before heading to the red truck on the living room with him. It was when Bianca placed her hand on his shoulder that Jason turned to embrace her._

'' _I didn't mean to make her cry''_

'' _I know you didn't''_

'' _I don't want to lose her''_

 _She ran her fingers through his hair, gently. ''we won't''_

 _She pretended she couldn't hear Dipper's low mumble, as he turned to his sister, who wiped her tears away. ''its okay, I know Bill's real. I hear him calling your name''_

The sun had finally managed to rise, and the first instinct Mabel had as she stood from her bed was to find her Grunkle Stan.

Standing in the kitchen, whistling along to a random song and wearing his usual white tank top, striped blue underwear, slippers and maroon fez, was Stan cracking some eggs onto the pan. He grinned when he spotted her, beginning to turn the eggs over. ''Mornin', kiddo. You sleep alright?''

She sent him a small smile, taking a seat at the kitchen table. ''Grunkle Stan can I talk to you about something?''

For a moment, he turned to look at her, before turning back to the stove. ''Uh, sure. What's bothering you?''

''Grunkle Stan, I think Bill's been following me''

There was a hiss that came from the stove, to which she only furrowed her eyebrows. Stan gulped, scratching his back. ''Who's Bill?''

''Bill Cipher, remember? Isosceles triangle, one eye, wanted to take over the world?''

Stan quickly turned off the stove, pulling the pan aside and taking a seat across from her. His eyes looked angry, like expected, but there was something more to it than just that and she knew it. ''Why do you think he's been following you?''

She explained what had occurred in the forest, all the way to what had occurred the night before. Hanging onto her every word, her grunkle's eyes widened at the mention of her parents. He didn't try to interrupt her, though, he just seemed to have frozen in his spot.

''Is it true? Did my parents really make a deal with him?''

Stan didn't respond for a few seconds, but rapidly composed himself by waving it off. ''Sweetie, you can't trust anything that stupid demon says. He's trying to get to you, trying to make chaos the best way he can.''

She nodded, staring down at the table. It made sense the more she thought about it; maybe it was just Bill looking to mess with someone. ''You're right, grunkle Stan. I'm just scared, I guess''

''don't be, I'll take him down in a heartbeat if he keeps bothering you'' he leaned in, his eyes looking around the vacant kitchen before turning to her, sternly. ''and whatever you do, do not mention this to Dipper or Ford''

She raised an eyebrow, leaning in too. ''Why?''

''They'll go all crazy and never take you out of their sight. Do you want that?''

She shook her head, sighing.

''Thought so'' Stan stood from his seat, taking a deep breath. ''Listen, Mabel, you're my great niece If something's bothering you, especially Bill, don't hesitate to come talk to me''

She smiled, a genuine one as she rubbed her tired eyes. ''Thanks, Grunkle Stan. I'll let you know if anything else happens''

That's when a yawning Dipper walked into the kitchen, stretching out his arms and sitting next to her. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow as he examined her. ''Mabel, are you alright? You look like you haven't slept at all''

'' 'Course I am, dipping sauce'' she laughed. ''You look like you haven't worked out in years''

Stan watched in amusement as the two began to joke around, his gaze staring down at the eggs he was transferring to some plates. Setting them down in front of the kids, he took his time to truly look at them.

These weren't the same twins from four years ago; no, they were different. Dipper was beginning to look exactly like his nephew had at his age, and Mabel's face expressions and soft features reminded him too much of Bianca. These sixteen year olds had managed to not only live through Bill's rise at just twelve years old, but they had also lost their parents only a month ago.

How Jason and Bianca would've handled the situation was completely beyond him, and although a selfish part of him wanted to keep Dipper and Mabel in Gravity Falls for the rest of his life, Stan had come to the realization that they would surely be safer in Piedmont years ago. Except, now there was no going back to California, and he was left with the constant reminder of what they had done to save Mabel.

He could only hope he could keep the deal to himself for as long as possible.

''Grunkle Stan, can you get the milk please?''

He cracked a grin, attempting to cover the emotions that ran through him at that very moment. ''Sure thing, kid''

.

.

.

''So what exactly are you planning on doing today?'' asked Pacifica, as she entered the Mystery Shack wearing a simple tank top and some shorts.

Mabel, who stood behind the counter, quickly lifted her head up from knitting. ''Oh hey, Paz. Not much, just working''

The blonde girl sighed, leaning her elbow against the counter. ''Is that it? I was hoping you, Dipper and I could go explore or something''

She turned to the clock, that stroke just a bit past eleven in the morning. ''that sounds like fun. Dipper's with great uncle Ford right now, so I don't think he'll be able to come''

For a slight second, she thought she saw a frown make its way to Pacifica's lips. ''Bummer. Its fine, we'll have a girl's day''

Mabel let out a loud 'whoop', rushing to the doorway and looking in. ''Grunkle Stan! Uncle Ford! Dipper! I'm going out with Pacifica, I'll be back later!''

She heard Dipper call something back, but she ignored it, linking arms with Pacifica. ''Come on, let's go''

They ended up going to a movie theatre just a few miles away in Pacifica's car, and Mabel was beginning to miss having these times with friends. She hadn't seen her friends from back home in a while, especially after her parent's death, and it felt nice to go out and be just a teenager again.

She just wished Candy and Grenda could come back.

''I heard this movie is so good'' Pacifica flipped her hair, as they stepped ahead in the line for popcorn. ''I've been dying to see it''

''It looks awesome!'' Mabel said, looking at a poster of the horror movie only a few feet away. ''I love scary movies!''

''Scary movies are the best. I'm surprised you'd want to see them, though, after everything that happened here-''

Mabel shook her head, smiling. ''Oh please, nothing's too scary for this girl!''

''This is too scary, this is too scary'' Mabel mumbled to herself, covering her eyes and rocking back and forth anxiously on her seat.

There was a loud sound that caused everyone in the movie theatre to jump from their seats and scream, especially Mabel and Pacifica (who'd managed to throw most of their popcorn on the ground).

It wasn't until after the movie ended that Mabel ran outside, looking up at the brightening sun. ''Light! There's light!''

''I can't believe we watched that'' Pacifica stuttered, walking to her side. ''that was scarier than I thought''

''yeah, tell me about it. Especially when the psychic was in the room and the red demon came out of-''

She suddenly bumped into someone, and before she could trip on her own feet, she was caught just in time by a pair of strong hands. She looked up, expecting to meet a stranger's gaze, but gasped when she saw the same silver eyes she had seen the night before.

Bill didn't say anything, he simply winked (or blinked, he was wearing an eyepatch, after all), and walked off. Her heart beat began to accelerate, before she heard Pacifica let out a squeal.

''Will you look at that? Two guys in a row. Way to go, Mabel''

Mabel took a deep breath, watching as a distant Bill disappeared into thin air. ''Come on, let's get out of here''

 **GRAVITY FALLS IS OVER AND MY HEART WILL NOT GO ON HELP ME OMG. I CANT BELIEVE IT'S DONE, LIKE DIPPER AND MABEL ARE MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS EVER. I'M SO THANKFUL FOR HAVING BEEN ABLE TO EXPIRIENCE SO MUCH WITH THE FANDOM, AND I WANT TO THANK ALEX HIRSCH FOR BRINGING LIGHT TO SUCH AN AMAZING SHOW. THANK YOU, GOODBYE GRAVITY FALLS.**

 **This is dedicated to Dipper and Mabel and all the characters of Gravity Falls; you will always be remembered.**

 **Thank you for your AMAZING reviews! I literally read them so often because they always make me smile! Thank you Guest, Guest, arapyanime, Nagy Bari, goonie99, Guest, DariaTrumper (thank you, you're too sweet!), and DeadlyBacon (you're a cutie!) (:**


	6. Chapter 6

_''Do you know why you're here, Mr. and Mrs. Pines?'' Mrs. Arthur asked, hands intertwined and elbows on desk as she leaned forward. The room, although filled with color and a variety of objects, was silent and filled with a strange atmosphere. To be fair, the married couple had been called in for a conference by their children's teacher, and they could only be confused as to why._

 _Jason and Bianca both turned to each other, the same look of misperception filling their eyes. ''I'm guessing it has to do with Dipper and Mabel, obviously. Listen, they can be a handful at times-''_

 _''No, Mrs. Pines, this is actually just about Mabel'' the kindergarten teacher reached down, handing them each different samples of drawings. ''Your daughter has developed this habit of drawing this…triangular object with one eye''_

 _Bianca's eyes scanned the drawings in horror, and she suddenly felt too suffocated in the room. The first one was of Dipper and her playing soccer outside with a blue sky and green grass, only for the triangle demon to appear floating behind her with a bow tie and its eye staring down at her. The second one was of their family; Jason was the first one drawn, then Bianca held his hand next to him, then Dipper and then Mabel were standing in front of their home. But beside her was the same triangular figure, holding onto her hand._

 _Feeling nauseous she turned to Jace, whose face had hardened as he looked over the rest of the drawings._

 _''I've spoken to her about this and she insists that it's her friend'' Mrs. Arthur raised an eyebrow. ''Never in my thirty five years of teaching have I seen a child draw something like this''_

 _''She has a wild imagination'' Bianca cut in, wrapping her arms around herself and handing the teacher the drawings back. ''She tends to draw a lot of things that don't make sense''_

 _''And I understand that, but what most concerns me is that she states she talks to him in her dreams and sometimes plays with him in real life. I don't want to intrude, but it seems that Mabel may need to see a therapist-''_

 _''No!'' Jason shouted, rising from his seat and throwing the drawings on the desk. ''My daughter doesn't need therapy, we can handle this!''_

 _She placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. ''Jace, please-''_

 _''Mabel's just a little girl, I'm sure she'll get out of this stage! She's not crazy!''_

 _Mrs. Arthur slowly got up from her chair, staring at him in concern. ''Mr. Pines, I didn't mean to offend you at all. Therapy isn't just for mentally ill people-''_

 _''Listen, my kid is going to be okay. Just because she's drawing that triangle demon doesn't mean anything! She's going to be okay'' Jason argued, but to Bianca, it didn't feel like it was directed to the teacher at all._

 _Instead, it was as if Jason was reassuring himself of his own words, holding his head high and attempting to sound strong, even with his voice slightly cracking. She knew he felt scared, grabbing ahold of her hand and tightly gripping onto it._

 _''I never said it was a demon'' Mrs. Arthur narrowed her eyes at them, to which Bianca could only gaze down at the floor. ''I'm just worried about Mabel. She's a very well behaved and creative girl, and I just want to make sure everything's okay. Is everything alright in your home?''_

 _Bianca nodded, turning to a silent Jace who refused to make eye contact. ''Yes, everything's okay. We'll talk to Mabel about it and see what we can do. Thank you for informing us''_

 _Making their way out of the classroom and back to their car, they didn't say anything and simply stared ahead at the path in front of them. Their hands continued to be intertwined, even when they managed to get inside their car._

 _Laying his back against the driver's seat, Jace turned to Bianca, who stared down at the purse on her lap with a frown on her face. ''I'm sorry for making a scene back there''_

 _She didn't look up, only clutched their hands tighter together. ''You don't have to apologize, I get it''_

 _''Why? Why is he doing this to us?'' Jason gulped, taking a deep breath. ''He's not supposed to even have her until she turns eighteen''_

 _That statement caused a chill to run down her spine, followed by the burning image of the laughing demon. ''It doesn't matter why he's doing it. Jace, Mabel doesn't deserve this, she's just six years old''_

 _''So what do we do, B? We can't just keep going like this''_

 _''We'll just have to visit Stan'' Bianca mumbled, thinking to back to their joyful twins. ''He knows more about Bill than we do''_

 _She didn't hesitate to begin packing the suitcases that night._

* * *

She'd long forgotten about it, if she were being honest. After having just arrived and dealing with not only settling into the place, Pacifica's visits, and working in the Mystery Shack, but also the constant fear that Bill would return, Mabel's mind just didn't have time to think back on it. That is, until Joshua Alton actually called.

She stared down at the checkered board; her eyes examining each single piece in determination as she inhaled deeply. She licked her lips, her legs swinging back and forth as she gradually placed her finger on the red checker. Sliding it over a black piece, she let out a joyful cry and clasped her hands together. ''Checkmate!''

Dipper, who sat across form her, raised an eyebrow at the game in front of them. ''Yeah, I'm pretty sure we're not playing this right''

''Of course we are, bro bro. The one who gets rid of all their checkers pieces first, wins!''

Three customers who roamed freely throughout the store turned their heads to look at them, before turning back to whatever object they were looking at. Dipper chuckled, stretching out his arm on the counter with a slight yawn. Gradually pushing the board away, Mabel too let out a loud yawn. That is, until she heard the loud sound an oinking pig coming from her phone in her back pocket.

Pulling it out and staring at the unknown number, she hesitantly pulled it to her ear. ''Hello?''

''Is this Mabel?''

The voice was a male one, one she didn't recognize as lifted an eyebrow. ''yeah. Who's this?''

Dipper sent her a confused look, to which she could only shrug. ''It's Joshua. We met at the mall a few days ago''

Suddenly, her lips curved up into a smile as the image of the blond haired boy came to mind. Leaning her elbows against the counter, she lightly nudged Dipper' side. ''Oh, hey, Joshua! How are you?''

She saw her brother roll his eyes, followed by some bitter mumbles. ''I'm great, just been thinking about you lately''

''Really? Well, what about me?''

''Oh you know, about that date we still need to go on'' She couldn't say she didn't feel her heart jump a little hearing those words.

Tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, and taking a step back from a paranoid looking Dipper, she bit her lower lip. ''Oh, is that so?''

She heard him chuckle from the other side of the line, making her feel a bit more relaxed. ''Yeah. So what do you say? Can I take you out to a nice dinner tonight around 7?''

Without hesitation, she grinned widely. ''I'd love that!''

Giving him her address, she giggled one last time before hanging up on the call. Dipper was staring at her, an annoyed expression on his face, and his arms folded across his chest. ''You know, you can get to know him a little bit better before going on a date with him''

''Aw, Come on, Dipper, that's what dates are for'' she squealed, pulling out her phone once again and beginning to look through her contacts. ''I have to tell Pacifica. She's going to go bonkers!''

Watching as his sister ran up the stairs shouting loudly into her phone, Dipper could only sigh and lean against the counter.

So much for keeping Mabel away from boys.

.

.

.

Mabel had managed to put together an outfit that consisted of a blue dress that reached down to just above her knee, along with a necklace she'd made herself that consisted of stars, some star earrings and some black flats. Glancing at herself in the bathroom mirror and beginning to brush through her dark hair, she glanced down at her phone to look at the time.

It was six forty seven; only thirteen minutes until Joshua arrived. She smiled, sighing dreamily as she loosened the grip on her hair brush.

Placing it down, she twirled her dress slightly. ''You look great, shooting star''

She looked into the mirror, to see him smirking at her with that sickening face of his. Pressing her lips together, she turned to glare at the floating Bill, who examined her far too closely for her liking. ''Why are you always around? Shouldn't you be doing demon things?''

''Like what? Trying to take over the world? Please, that was four years ago'' He grabbed her hand, pulling it close to his lips. ''I'd much rather spend some time with you instead''

Mabel pulled her hand away, taking a few steps back and grabbing ahold of the door knob. ''I mean it, Cipher, if you don't leave I'll yell for my Grunkle Stan''

''And what is he going to do? Last time you thought you defeated me, and yet here I am. You can't get rid of me, shooting star''

''Well, what do you want? I'm busy!'' she murmured, hearing what was most likely Dipper's footsteps walking down the hallway.

Bill's face then twisted into disgust, his nose wrinkling before he tilted her chin up to stare at him. ''I wanna know why you still insist on going on a date with that imbecile?''

''Joshua?'' she blinked a few times, both in confusion and surprise. ''What about him?''

''Did I not make it clear that you are to go nowhere near him?'' he grabbed ahold of her wrists and squeezed them enough that she let out low whimper.

She tried to push him off, but he was too strong for her to do so. ''Why do you care, Bill? Why do you care so much about my life all of a sudden?''

She continued to struggle until he finally let go unexpectedly, causing her land on her butt when she fell to the floor. He stared down at her, with gritted teeth. Letting out a cold chuckle, Bill only watched her rise up from the ground and dust off her dress. ''I don't like others playing with my toys''

And with that, he disappeared.

Mabel stood there, jaw slightly dropped and frozen in place. Continuing to stare at the place where the demon had been, she felt the familiar chill rush down her spine. What Bill had meant by that was beyond her understanding, and it just didn't make sense as to why he had suddenly grown interested in her.

Hearing Stan call for her downstairs, she hesitantly opened the door to the bathroom and made her way down.

Standing there with a white t-shirt and his hands deep in his pant pockets, was a grinning Joshua, who kept looking over at the three Pine men standing a few feet away with their arms crossed.

She smiled, greeting him with a hug. ''Hey, Joshua''

''Hello, Mabel. You look beautiful'' he spit, rather nervously and taking her hand. ''Should we get going?''

''Sure!'' she walked over to Stan and Ford, who both made sure their weapons were clear in sight, and embraced them. ''See you later, Grunkles!''

Turning to Dipper she lifted her two thumbs up. However, her twin was examining her with an eyebrow raised. He could tell there was something off (of course he did, he knew her better than she knew herself), but before he was able to speak, she just waved them off. ''Alright, we're leaving bye!''

Closing the door to the house, she grinned when Joshua opened the door to the passenger seat for her. And yet, her mind remained on the demon, who was observing her without her even knowing so.

.

.

.

Pacifica knocked on the wooden door, her hands on her hips as she stared down at her feet. The door flung open, revealing a weary looking Dipper wearing some dark shorts and a dark shirt along with his usual messy hair and hat.

She suddenly felt the anxious tug to her stomach, the one she had been used to getting around him when they were twelve. ''Hey, Dipper. I'm guessing I'm too late, aren't I?''

''To see Mabel? Yeah, she left a couple of minutes ago'' he sighed, almost bitterly.

She frowned, folding her arms across her lavender dress. ''Darn it. I was hoping to wish her luck before her date'' Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heel and cracked a small smile. ''Well, thanks anyway, Dipper. I'll just text her later and let her know I passed by''

But before she took another step, his voice rapidly filled the silence. ''-hey, maybe you can stay until she comes back''

She turned around to look at him, as he scratched the back of his neck. ''-I mean, I'm sure she'll be back soon. We can just hang out, or- whatever''

Biting her lower lip, she tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. ''You wanna hang out?''

Dipper laughed, nervously. ''Why not? It's been a while, just the two of us''

She shrugged, grinning as he opened the door wider. Stepping into the familiar home, she chuckled. ''So what exactly do you have mind?''

She hadn't even heard him talk about a movie over the sound of her pounding heart.

 **I want start out by apologizing because I know I haven't updated in a while, and I really meant to, but the inspiration and motivation just wasn't there. As you can see this isn't my best chapter yet, so if you have any ideas for the next chapter of future chapters, please let me know!**

 **Also, I'd like to thank my new followers. Goodness, ya'll have grown so much :D – cries tears of joy- thank you so much for reading, guys! And thank you so much for everyone who reviewed! You're what motivated me! (Especially the ones who wrote long paragraphs c;)**

 **I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my beta, Kamiko Kiyo, as a way to thank her for helping me look over the previous chapters and this one (because everyone else knows I have horrible grammar mistakes XD). Anyway, thanks girl! I really really really appreciate what you're doing! You've been so helpful and I owe you so much already :3**

 **Make sure to leave a review of future chapters or just any comments you have! Love you! ~Lexi**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

So far, the car ride had been silent, filled with nothing more than the sound of the car engine and nearly audible radio that played some song Mabel didn't recognize.

Joshua was staring ahead at the road, his dark eyes concentrated firmly at the road ahead of him, and even then she could see him tapping constantly on the steering wheel with his fingers.

She wasn't sure what to do, if she were being honest, but the silence was just too overbearing. ''So, Joshua. Where are we going?''

His shoulders relaxed almost unconsciously as he turned to look at her with a grin. ''It's a surprise, but hopefully you'll love it.''

''Oh, are we going rock climbing?'' she cried excitedly, clasping her hands together.

He chuckled, shaking his head. ''No, sorry. But had I known that's what you wanted, we would've done that.''

''Oh, don't worry about it,'' Mabel smiled, waving her hand. ''As long as the company's good, who cares where we go?''

Joshua turned to look at her once again, throwing her that same sweet smile, and she could see the small sparkle forming in his eyes. ''Remind me again why we only just met?''

She only shrugged her shoulders, to which they both laughed.

* * *

''Remind me what movie we're watching again?'' Pacifica asked, sitting down on the carpet and leaning her back against the couch behind her.

Dipper turned his head to his side, giving her a half grin before placing the DVD into his laptop. ''Well, I figured maybe you'd like to watch Night of the Living Walkers. Mabel told me she went to see a scary movie with you some time ago.''

''Yeah, it was pretty terrifying. And that's coming from someone who's watched too many scary movies,'' she flipped her hair over her shoulder, pretending she didn't notice the way she had just merely leaned against Dipper's arm. ''So are we watching the original or the remake?''

''Please, the remake was trash. Mabel and I have been obsessed with the original one since we were little kids.''

That's when the familiar and all too overused music began to play, and they were greeted with the image of a black and white zombie rising from the grave. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn they had made (''what's a movie without popcorn?'' ''Good point!''), and placing it in between them, Dipper positioned the laptop on the ground near enough so that they'd have a good view.

Pacifica was trying her best to focus on the beginning of the movie. After all, her old crush was sitting only a few inches away.

* * *

The place was stunning, absolutely lovelier than any place she'd even been at before.

Stepping out of the car with wide eyes and parted lips, she let out a loud gasp at the sight of the giant building in front of them. The sign that lit up just above the glass doors read Carpe Diem, and there were men dressed in black and white uniforms holding the doors open. It wasn't until Joshua locked arms with her politely and walked her in that she really displayed just how awe-stricken she really was, causing him to laugh. The place, although not as full as the restaurants back in Gravity Falls, was illuminated with half dim lights and filled with other costumers' laughter.

The main waiter, who stood in the front behind a small counter, didn't even ask for their names. He simply walked towards them with a perfect posture (Mabel had to remind herself not to continue to slouch). ''Ah, yes. Hello, Mr. Evans. Right this way.''

She turned to him, raising an eyebrow as they followed closely behind him. ''Wait, how does he know who you are?''

''My uncle owns the restaurant.'' Joshua shrugged with a small smirk on his lips.

''Wow, this is really fancy.'' Mabel smiled as Joshua held the seat out for her. She watched as he got around to take his own seat. ''Your uncle must be a pretty cool dude.''

He laughed, running his fingers through that blond hair of his. ''Yeah, he's alright for the most part.'' He turned his head to the waiter, who stood by his side with a straightened back. ''Tomas, do you mind handing the pretty lady and I a menu?''

The waiter, apparently called Tomas, grabbed the menus from under his arm and handed each of them one. Mabel's eyes rapidly widened as she looked through everything available. ''Everything looks really good, but…it's a little expensive. I don't want you to waste money on me.''

''Mabel,'' Joshua chuckled, in a sweet tone that made Mabel blush. ''We're on a date, please get anything you want.''

And yet still, it didn't feel right, so instead she found the cheapest thing she could. ''Can I please get some Alfredo pasta.''

Tomas nodded, and then looked at Joshua. ''Of course, ma'am. What would you like, Mr. Evans?''

''I'll have the same, along with a Dr. Pepper. Would you like anything to drink, Mabel?'

''Just some water, please.''

''I'll be back shortly,'' the waiter said, slightly bowing down before walking off towards the kitchen. Mabel turned her head to look at Joshua, only to find him already staring at her with a small smile. She giggled rather nervously, placing a strand of her hair behind her ear and trying her best to remain composed.

Because the truth was, for some reason she was growing more anxious by the second, and she just couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was the strange yet magical atmosphere, or maybe the fact that her last restaurant date was with Gideon over four years ago. All Mabel knew was that she was feeling uncomfortable, and she had to do something about it fast.

''So, Joshua,'' she spoke, leaning slightly against the table with her elbow. ''Tell me more about you. Any weird hobbies I should know about?''

''Weird hobbies? I don't think so. Although, I do have a cousin who likes to take the plastic number holders from Whataburger.''

''Really? I told Dipper he wasn't the only one!''

He laughed, and she could feel her body become less tense. ''What about you? You sound like a pretty interesting girl. Anything strange you like to do?''

''Are you kidding? I got lots! For starters, I like to knit sweaters on my free time.''

''What, that isn't so weird?''

''Also, when I was twelve, I liked to put glitter on everything. Clothes, blankets, toilet paper. Anything in sight, really.''

Joshua snorted, smirking and leaning closer. ''Now that is a little weird.''

Mabel chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. ''Yeah, but my grunkles didn't really mind and Dipper was used to it by then.''

''Yeah, your family seems pretty fun. You know, except when they threatened to cause me agonizing pain if I were to hurt you in any way before you came downstairs.''

Mabel rolled her eyes at that, reminding herself to have a good talk with those boys once she got back. ''Yeah, they're somewhat overprotective.''

''Oh, no, I get it,'' he said, exhaling. ''I have a little eleven year old sister named Erin, and if she was going on a date, I'd sure as hell scare the living hell out of that guy.''

She laughed, and that's when she noticed Tomas coming their way with a plate in his hand and two drinks on top. That's when he suddenly tripped on thin air, and somehow one of the drinks managed to spill all over her dress. She jumped out of her seat, letting out a slight squeal at the sensation of the freezing drink all over her.

Joshua too, arose, with wide eyes as he rushed to her side. ''Oh my gosh. Mabel, are you okay?''

She nodded, to which the boy turned to look at the waiter. ''Tomas, you idiot! How could you be so clumsy?''

The man attempted to mumble out some apologies, clearly stunned and confused at his own actions, but she simply took a deep breath and cut him off. ''No, Tomas, it's okay. Accidents happen.''

Smiling slightly at the half embarrassed, half distressed Joshua, she grinned. ''I'll just go to the restroom and clean up. I'll be right back.''

''Hold on, Mabel.'' He turned to a gulping Tomas, who stood there like a scared small child. ''How could you be so stupid? Tell me why I shouldn't have my uncle fire you right now?''

''That's enough, Joshua, just let it go,'' she cried out, to which she saw Joshua soften up. Sending a relieved Tomas off with a low murmur, Joshua sent her an ashamed look that told her just how sorry she was. She grinned again, nodding her head in understanding, before walking off towards the women's restroom (wherever the hell that was).

After all, the chill to her spine could only come from one person, and if she were right, what were the chances of the waiter tripping out of nowhere?

* * *

 _''Norman, please don't do it,'' an overdramatic Silvia Harper cried out, grasping onto her husband's button up white shirt. Placing a hand over her forehead, she let out a sound of distress as her lower lip trembled. ''The walkers out there will take you apart. Our unborn child and I cannot survive without you.''_

 _''I'll make it back, Silvia,'' the tall man with the long mustache said as he pulled his wife closer to him. Staring down at her with his intense gaze, he cupped her face into his hands. ''Just know that I love you, and I will always love you no matter what.''_

 _And with that, he leaped out the front door and closed it behind him. She yelled out his name, falling to her knees as the moaning of the walkers became louder. The camera then turned to see a running Norman, grabbing all the walkers' attention, while grasping to his wedding ring for dear life._

Pacifica turned to look at Dipper, who grabbed a handful of popcorn. ''Hey, Dipper, do you think this could happen in real life?''

''What, the walkers?'' Dipper put some popcorn into his mouth and swallowed it. ''Well, I did summon up zombies a few years ago.''

''No, not that,'' she looked at the computer screen, watching as Silvia ran into a random room in the house and closed the door behind her. As the woman slid down the door, tears falling down her eyes while placing her hand on her heart, Pacifica took a deep breath. ''I meant, I don't know, the whole love thing.''

''Yeah, of course,'' Dipper said, nudging her with his shoulder, causing her to smile. ''My parents were crazy in love, sometimes it drove Mabel and I crazy. You'd be surprised when it comes to those type of things.''

''Yeah, I bet,'' she agreed halfheartedly, pretending she couldn't see the small glimmer of sadness that had formed in his eyes when he'd mentioned his parents. Instead, she turned back to the movie, watching as a tattered Norman found his way to his beloved Silvia.

How was she supposed to know what love was? Her parents had never been an example of it, after all.

* * *

''-So then I pulled the fish hook out and there it was,'' Joshua smirked. ''The little clownfish that had been terrorizing everyone for weeks.''

Mabel let out a wow, grabbing her fork and picking at some pasta. ''That's so cool! What happened after?''

''Well, dad thought we should keep it. You know, as a trophy.''

''And you still have it?''

''Yup, I named that little guy Bubbles.''

Mabel's already lit up face seem to light up even more as she grinned widely. ''That's adorable! I wish my pig, Waddles, was still alive. I bet he would've liked you.''

The image of her pig came to mind, and a rush of sadness came through her just thinking about him. They had been best friends for years, in the long run, and although losing him wasn't as hurtful and heartbreaking as losing her parents, his early death had led her to become depressed for weeks. Her parents, seeing how distressed she was, had offered to buy her another pig, but nobody could replace her Waddles. At least she knew he was happy somewhere up there with her parents.

''I'm sorry, Mabel,'' Joshua frowned, and she could see the concerned lines on his forehead. ''What happened?''

''He just got sick, about a year ago, and the veterinarian didn't know what's wrong,'' she gulped, still keeping a smile on her lips even if they both knew her eyes were saying otherwise. ''He died, peacefully, though, and that's all I wanted.''

''I get it,'' he spoke, wiping his mouth all neatly with a napkin. ''My best friend growing up was my black cat, Toothless. I only had him for about six years, and then one day I came back from school to realize he had been run over while I was away. It was awful.''

Before Mabel could say anything to comfort him, however, she saw a few bugs begin to emerge from the flower vase in the center of the table. They both cried out, Mabel getting on top of her chair, and Joshua stepping farther away as the random bugs began to crawl down and find their way to other tables. Others, who were there dining, began to scream as they attempted to get as far away as they could from the bugs.

Joshua shivered as he ran towards her and helped her down. Staring at the bugs that had made their way throughout the restaurant, he grabbed onto her and looked down at the floor to see that there was nothing coming their way. Mabel wasn't necessarily scared of them exactly, but it was rather the sudden surprise of their appearance that had caused her to become startled.

''I swear this has never happened before.''

''I believe you,'' she said, squeezing his arm for reassurance. How was it possible for bugs to come out of nowhere like that?

* * *

''How do you think Mabel's doing?'' Dipper asked, yawning as Doctor Oliver began to slash the walkers with his sword.

Pacifica shrugged, pushing her hair from her face. ''She's probably having the time of her life. Joshua's a pretty fun guy.''

''Wait, did you go out with him?'' he asked, raising an eyebrow and turning to glare at her. ''You did say he was the most popular guy, and if I recall, you're the most popular girl here in Gravity Falls.''

''We only went on a date once, but we never dated again because we realized that we were only doing it because it was expected of us to do so,'' she chuckled, looking at Dipper's stunned face. ''Surprised?''

''Honestly, yeah, a little.''

''Like I said, I've changed since you were last here. Joshua's a great friend, and a sweet guy in general, but what's the point if you don't really care for that person in that way? You know?''

''Yeah, I know.''

Pacifica smiled, crossing her arms across her chest. ''But anyway, you don't have to worry about your sister. She's just fine.''

* * *

''Okay, second attempt,'' Joshua said as he handed Mabel her ice cream cone. After they had been evacuated from the restaurant due to all the bugs crawling around, Joshua had decided to take her out for ice cream. If anything, Mabel was more than relieved seeing as the restaurant seemed to bring nothing but bad luck.

Now they were at Sally's ice cream factory, much closer to Gravity Falls, and the atmosphere wasn't as uncomfortable as before. Grabbing her cone, and thanking him, they both walked over to a small table and took a seat across each other. ''Man, I've never had a date as eventful as this.''

''Yeah. I'm really sorry, Mabel,'' Joshua sighed, scratching the back of his neck. ''I didn't think so many things were going to happen.''

''Hey, I didn't say it was necessarily bad,'' she laughed, and Joshua's face broke out into a smile. ''My dress got washed for free, and those bugs were pretty cool to look at.''

''We just went through all that, and you're still optimistic?'' Joshua chuckled, licking his cone. ''Teach me your ways, Mabel Pines.''

They laughed, and the sudden sound of screaming came from the back of the counter only a few feet away. A small fire began to ignite from the vanilla flavor of ice cream only a few feet away, and before anyone knew it, the entire ice cream and front counter was on fire. Needless to say, thirty minutes later, they stood outside of the half burned ice cream factory while the firefighters continued to put out the flames.

The car ride back to her house was anything but chatty, and this time Mabel found comfort in the silence that surrounded the car. She was afraid that if they were to speak something completely unexplainable would happen again.

''Well, here we are,'' Joshua said, walking her to her front door with his hands in his pockets and an unrecognizable look on his face.

Mabel nodded tiredly, turning to see that the lights in the house were still on. ''Yup, thanks for everything, Joshua. I really appreciate it.''

''Listen, Mabel,'' he said, staring down at his feet, and then back up at her. ''I know that our date has been nothing but bad coincidences, but talking to you today made me realize that I want to get to know you better. Do you think maybe we could try this again? I promise I won't do anything to bring us bad luck.''

She wanted to say yes. Of course she wanted to, which is why what she said made her heart sink. ''I'm sorry, Joshua, but I don't think I can.''

He was stunned, blinking a few times and watching her closely. ''Why? Was it something I did? Did I offend you?''

''No, no!'' she screamed out quickly, shaking her hands in front of her. ''Not at all, I just…''

She glanced around, nervously.

''I just need to adjust better. I mean I just got here, and it think it's better if I just got to know everyone around town better before I start dating. You understand, right?''

Joshua nodded, but she could see a little confusion in his eyes.

''Well, thank you for everything. I really am sorry,'' she pecked his cheek swiftly, opening the door to the house and waving at him one last time before closing the door. Breathing out in relief, and leaning her head against the door, she yelped hearing Dipper's voice from the living room.

''Hey, Mabel. How was your date?''

She caught a glimpse of Pacifica too, along with ending credits to the movie she had seen far too many times. Mabel rapidly pulled up her lips into a smile, giving them a thumbs up. ''It was great, awesome, fascinating. I'm tired, so I'm going to go upstairs. Goodnight Dipper, goodnight Pacifica!''

And with that she rushed up the stairs, before either one of them could say anything. Once she reached the attic however, the smile quickly fell as she glanced around the empty room. ''Bill, I know you're here!''

There was nothing.

''Come on, you dorito, don't pretend you haven't been around all along! I know you were the one who caused everything tonight!''

''It's not very polite to call someone a dorito, Shooting Star,'' she heard his voice say, and she snapped her head to find him lazily laying on her bed. His one eyes that wasn't covered with the eye patch was shut, and his arms were crossed behind his head.

She growled, clutching her fists. ''Why would you ruin my date? You had no right to do that!''

''Oh please,'' he said, floating up with his eyes still closed. ''It's not my fault that the waiter was a clumsy imbecile, or that the bugs decided to come out to play. Although I do find it ironic how a fire could start from ice cream.''

''Bill, I won't say this again. Leave me alone!''

Within a blink he was right in front of her, his face towering down to look at her with that cold glare of his. ''I told you to not go on that date, and you didn't listen. Everything that happened today was on you, not me.''

Mabel suddenly felt guilty, thinking back to the saddened Joshua she had left behind just a few minutes ago. Bill smirked, grabbing a strand of her hair and twirling it in his fingers. ''Although I am honored, Shooting Star, that you'd deny going on another date with him because of me.''

''Just go,'' she mumbled, too tired to even fight with him any longer.

Bill, surprisingly, did as told, and for the rest of the night Mabel had to wonder: Why her?


	8. Chapter 8

_Bianca had never seen her children so happy, as they both ran outside of the Mystery Shack tagging each other. Maybe it was the fresh smell of the surrounding pine trees, or the lack of police sirens and loud city noises; the small Oregon town brought a sense of tranquility to all of them that they hadn't felt in some time._

 _The bright morning sun was shining down on them, and birds could be heard flying across the sky chirping. Jason, Stan and her sat on a bench against the shack, watching with a smile as the twins tackled each other down to the ground. Bianca was about to tell them to be careful, when she felt Jason wrap a tight arm around her shoulder. She turned to look at him, to which she rolled her eyes at his usual 'let them be' face._

 _She looked over at the two kids, stiffing a giggle as Dipper and Mabel looked down at an insect, only to bump heads. The twins felt into a fit of laughter, holding onto their heads and pointing to each other._

 _''You know, they're pretty great kids'' Stan said, with his arms behind his head. ''You two have done a good job''_

 _''Yeah, they're the sweetest'' Bianca said, leaning her head against her husband's shoulder. ''They really missed you. When was the last time you visited? About a year ago?''_

 _''The Mystery Shack can't take care of itself, you know''_

 _Jason chuckled. ''You can always just hire more people''_

 _''And have to pay them minimum wage? What do you think I am? Rich?''_

 _Jason and Bianca both laughed, shaking their heads at the old man. Bianca instantly rose up, watching as Mabel began to make her way towards the forest at a distance. She could hear Dipper's shouts as he ran over to catch up to her, but the girl didn't seem to listen as she continued on._

 _''Mabel!" she yelled, rushing over to where she was. She could hear Jason and Stan follow behind her, and she managed to get in front of Mabel just before she went any deeper into the never-ending trees. Kneeling down, she grabbed ahold of her daughter's shoulders. ''Mabel, sweetie, I told you not to go into the forest!''_

 _Mabel pouted, staring down at her shoes. ''But, mommy, didn't you hear Bill? He said he wants to play there!''_

 _''No, honey, you cannot go in there alone! You can get hurt, do you want that?''_

 _''But I wasn't alone, I was with Bill'' she replied, stomping her foot._

 _Jason carried her into his arms, Bianca's gaze falling back to the forest. There was a light gust of wind, to which the leaves shook back and forth. Something wasn't right in there, however, and she could feel it._

 _''Why don't we go back inside and get you some ice cream?'' Stan asked, as Bianca grabbed ahold of Dipper's hand. ''I heard you two love chocolate chip!''_

 _Dipper and Mabel both turned to each other, and smiled. ''Yay! Ice cream!''_

 _Jason placed the girl down, as the two children ran back towards the shack. The three adults began to head back, when Stan turned to look at them. ''I was wrong, we have to start now. Something tells me Bill's going to try something now that they're here''_

 _Bianca gulped, feeling her stomach turn. ''Tell us what we have to do to stop this, please. We'll do anything''_

 _''Well, I read somewhere in the book that there's a shielding spell we can use, but it's going to be hard. You need to get moonstones, mercury, and unicorn hair''_

 _Bianca raised an eyebrow in confusion, while Jason nodded his head firmly. ''Uncle Ford had moonstones and mercury stashed somewhere in all his things, so we only need to get the unicorn hair. Do you know where we can find them?''_

 _''You can use the book to help you find it'' they reached the door, to which Stan grew quieter. ''It won't be easy, though''_

 _''It doesn't matter'' Bianca insisted, sighing. ''We have to try''_

 _Jason walked over to the children, helping them put ice cream into their cone. Stan leaned over to her, a clear frown on his lips. ''You know, the shielding spell is to stop protecting Bill from getting into your home, but Mabel will still try to talk to him''_

 _''Is there a spell for forgetting?'' she asked, half serious. When he didn't say anything, she snapped her head towards him. ''There is?''_

 _''It's not a spell, more like a memory erasing gun'' Stan narrowed his eyes. ''I'm not so sure about using it on a six year old''_

 _''I have to do what's best for my children'' was all she said._

 _However, the thought of her daughter's memory getting wiped out terrified her, even if it was the demonic creature following her around. If something were to go wrong, their Mabel wouldn't be the same._

 _But they had to try; they had come to Gravity Falls to forget him, after all._

..

It'd been a few days since her date, and Mabel was gradually beginning to feel better.

After giving her great uncles and Dipper a quick summary of what had happened the next morning during breakfast (seeing as they wouldn't let her breathe if she didn't tell them), they had all seemed more than confused at what had occurred.

Of course, they'd ended up dismissed it all as unsettling coincidences, including Grunkle Stan, although she swore his eyes didn't match his words.

They'd all been more than relieved, however, when she told them she wouldn't be going on a date with him again. There was just something about two grown men high fiving each other and her twin mumbling some happy nonsense that caused her to giggle. After that, the rush of emotions that had overtaken her that night had slowly begun to fade away, and Mabel had gone back to the happy girl she was.

Having not seen Bill since it'd all happened, and texting Joshua some more apologies (to which he happily remarked that they could still hang out as friends), she felt as if everything was alright.

Except, it wasn't, the moment she saw Bill enter through the Mystery Shack's door.

''Hello, there'' he smirked, a strand of his golden hair falling near his eye, as he walked over to where she was in the counter.

She let out a loud scream, falling back and losing her balance. Dipper came running in, Ford and Stan having left to buy something a while ago, and his eyes widened as he saw her on the floor.

''Mabel, what happened?'' he cried, holding out his hand and helping her get up. Her eyes remained on Bill, who smiled back at her in innocence. Dipper followed her gaze, pushing her behind him almost unconsciously. ''Did he do something to you?''

''Hello, I'm Samuel'' Bill extended his hand out at Dipper, to which her twin only stared at. ''I'm dearly sorry; I didn't mean to scare the girl. I just came to ask if I could apply for a job here''

Mabel looked at him, completely stunned. She'd completely recognized him back when he'd appeared to her, and the fact that he was trying to come up with a fake name thinking Dipper wouldn't notice, baffled her.

''Dipper,'' her brother said, slowly shaking his hand. ''Our uncles are the ones you need to talk to, but they're not here right now''

''Bummer, I was really hoping I could start as soon as possible'' Bill said, with a fake frown.

Mabel began pulling on her hair, letting out a low groan that caused both guys to turn to look at her. ''What? How can you believe him? Can't you see he's Bill?''

Dipper raised an eyebrow, as Bill's face twisted into a plastic about of confusion. ''Mabel, what are you talking about?''

''He's Bill! Don't you see it!'' she waved her hands violently, pointing at the demon. ''He's got the same gold hair, and an eye patch on one eye and the same stupid voice!''

Instead of Dipper's eyes widening in agreement with her, he simply looked even more puzzled. ''Mabel, he looks nothing like Bill'' he whispered the name harshly. ''Did you find any more of that Smile Dip stuff?''

''He must be using his demonic powers so that you can't see who he really is!'' she screamed, walking towards the blond from behind the counter, she pointed her finger at his chest. ''Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Mister!''

''I'm sorry about her,'' Mabel felt her brother's arms pull her back, shaking his head slightly. ''I'm not sure what's gotten into her''

''Not to worry'' Bill smiled, to which she felt a rush of frustration overtake her. ''Whoever this Bill guy is, I apologize if my appearance brings back bad memories of him''

Mabel growled, as Dipper only shrugged it off. ''We'll be right back''

She glared at the demon, who stared back in a suspiciously good blank face, while Dipper pulled her across the room. Keeping her gaze on him (that stupid demon was bound to do something evil, and she knew it), she heard Dipper sigh from beside her.

''Listen, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you can't just wrongly accuse some guy of being Bill''

Mabel turned her head to stare at him, and she was sure her eyes were popping out from the pure annoyance. ''Dipper, I'm your sister. Would I ever lie to you about something like this after everything we went through?''

''Well, no'' he scratched the back of his neck, his eyes only momentarily filled with guilt. ''But we defeated Bill years ago. Grunkle Ford would know if he was back''

''I know he's back!'' she snapped, to which he motioned for her to quiet down. She ignored him, and instead raised her voice ever higher. ''He's standing right over there!''

''Should I come back another time?'' his voice called out, the same voice that had haunted her from the age of twelve. An angry reply was at the tip of her tongue, when the door to the Mystery Shack opened and in came her great uncles holding shopping bags. Stan looked irritated, sweat dripping from his forehead due to the summer sun, while Ford looked nothing less than indifferent. They seemed to ignore Bill, and instead began walking into the house.

Mabel knew her brother was about to speak up on the guy, but before she could stop him, he covered her mouth with his hand. ''Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Stan, there's a guy here applying for-''

Dipper let out a cry, pulling his hand away as Mabel smirked. She could see a small bite mark forming on his hand, and she took pride to that.

''What is it?'' Ford asked, adjusting his glasses.

''Nothing'' she conjured up the sweetest smile she could.

Bill cleared his throat, instantly receiving everyone's attention. ''hey, I'm Samuel. I was wondering if I could apply for a job here''

''A job, you say?'' asked Ford, much to Mabel's displeasure. ''Do you have a resume?''

He pulled out a piece of paper from whatever bag he had and handed it to Ford, as she watched his every move. It just didn't make sense; why would Bill want to work at the Mystery Shack?

Ford's eyes looked through it, a small grin forming on his lips before tilting his head up. ''This resume looks far too advanced for someone looking to work here. Are you sure you don't want to work somewhere else? There are many fields you can go into''

''Actually I was really hoping to work here. There's something about this place that makes it all more… endearing'' his eyes landed on her, and she saw a twinkle come across them.

Stan walked over to where his brother was, and grabbed the piece of paper from his hand. Letting out a few ''mm'' and ''aha'', he shoved it back to Bill. ''It looks like a bunch of gibberish, but you're hired''

''Wait, what?'' she cried out, causing her two great uncles to stare at her, confused.

''Hey, we need the help around here'' Grunkle Stan, the leaned down and whispered to her. ''Plus, I can trick him into doing some housework too''

''She thinks its Bill'' Dipper spoke, his arms folded.

Mabel threw her arms up in defeat, and after a few seconds of denying remarks from them, she decided to not say another word. She couldn't blame them; seeing as she herself wouldn't believe someone claiming that a stranger was Bill without proof.

She took a deep breath, watching with a heavy heart as Ford shook hands with him. ''You start tomorrow, kid. Be here by 7 o'clock''

Bill nodded, and soon her great uncles and Dipper disappeared into the other room.

Mabel only stood there, staring ahead at the man, whose lips had pulled up into a side smirk. ''They may not believe me, but I know who you are. Why are you here?''

''what? I can't have a little fun with my shooting star?'' Bill smiled widely, beginning to walk towards the shop's door. ''It'll be a pleasure to work with you. See you soon''

And with a wink, he was gone.

Mabel didn't eat dinner that night, just thinking about the dream demon. He had to have a reason to stick around, and she was going insane just wondering as to what it could be. Whatever it was, she needed to find out as soon as possible.

She couldn't risk her family being in danger, especially not because of a floating Dorito.

 **Okay, I admit, I had no idea what I was doing in this chapter haha. Hopefully you liked it though…no? okay.**

 **Thank you guys so much for your support, and your reviews and honestly I'm so happy you guys even read this. This was nothing more than a story that I was writing for myself, and I didn't think it'd get so big with over a hundred follows cx whoop! Thank you so much xx**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

'' _Stupid Unicorns'' Bianca growled, her left leg being slowly dragged against the green pasture and her dirty blonde hair all over the place. She could feel her right eye swelling, and she tried her best to ignore the unicorn blood that stained her shirt. She could hear Jason's moans behind her, his head rolling side to side, while holding onto his arm. His hair, too, had been completely messed up, with his lower lip bleeding slightly. ''I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I hate unicorns now''_

 _She cursed under her breath, feeling a familiar sharp pain crawl up her ankle. ''It could've been worse, B. They could've stabbed us with their glowing horns''_

'' _I'm surprised they didn't''_

'' _Hey,'' she felt her husband's arm wrap around her shoulder loosely, and her head instantly fell onto him. ''You kicked butt back there. I didn't think you still remembered the karate you learned ten years ago''_

 _Bianca chuckled, feeling a slight heavy feeling on her ribs. ''You're one to talk. I didn't think you could punch as hard as you did''_

'' _The stupid unicorn was aiming at you, I wasn't going to let that thing hurt you'' Bianca looked up at him, and even with the mid-day sun shining down on them, she couldn't help but notice it was nothing compared to Jason's warm smile. ''Besides''_

 _Jason rose his arms up, flexing while trying to maintain himself from wincing in pain. ''It was about time I used these bad boys, don't you think?''_

 _She laughed, raising an eyebrow. ''What exactly am I looking at, dear?''_

'' _I'll have you know, I am a very muscular person'' Jason wiggled his eyebrows at her, to which only fueled her amusement. ''You should know all about that''_

 _Bianca only responded by gently pushing him away, and she couldn't had been more relieved at the sight of the Mystery Shack ahead. Walking as fast as they could (because heaven knows they were a minute away from collapsing from the exhaustion), Bianca threw the wooden door open._

 _Sitting on the couch was Stan, his eyes glued to the television in front of him. On his side was Mabel, who had his entire arm covered in stickers and was currently drawing something in marker. Dipper laid happily on the floor, a book cracked open and a small grin on his young face._

 _The three of them rapidly looked over at both Jason and her, and Bianca swore there was no better feeling that her children's arms wrapped around her._

'' _Mommy, we missed you'' Dipper called out, looking up at her with a pout._

 _Mabel nodded, grabbing Jason's hand into hers. ''Where were you?''_

 _They exchanged looks, before Jace sent the small twins a wide grin. ''We went on an adventure''_

'' _Woah!'' Dipper and Mabel began to jump up and down, a glow to their round faces. ''What kind of an adventure?''_

'' _A very interesting adventure. Maybe someday we'll tell you all about it''_

'' _What's mommy holding?'' Mabel pointed out, looking straight at the multi colored fur Bianca had firmly gripped with her fingers._

 _She ran her available hand through her daughter's hair, trying her best to come up with a believable answer. ''Just something I found. Now, go along. Daddy and I are very tired''_

 _Thankfully, before the children could ask any more questions, Stan placed a board game on the floor to which the twins ran to. The old man nodded his head towards the kitchen, to which Bianca and Jason followed._

'' _Here you go,'' she handed Stan the fur, exhaling deeply. ''Unicorn hair just like you asked''_

 _Stan looked down at it with widen eyes. ''What happened to you? You two look like you got ran over by a bus''_

'' _Let's just say that Unicorns aren't kind and cuddly like we thought they'd be'' Jason shivered for a moment. ''I can't believe my daughter is obsessed with those things''_

'' _Well, now I can start working on the shielding spell'' Stan sighed, turning to look at her. ''Have you thought about what we talked about yesterday?''_

 _She could feel Jason's confused glace, as she took a deep breath. ''Yes, but I still haven't told Jace about it''_

'' _Uncle Stan, Bianca, what's going on?'' Jason folded his arms across his chest, his forehead creasing and showing thin lines of worry._

 _Stan explained to him what he had told her, while Bianca simply stared down at the floor, avoiding eye contact with her husband. After all, just the sound of it sounded insane, and she knew that Jason would take it heavily. What parent wouldn't when it came to something like that?_

'' _You want to erase Mabel's mind?''_

..

Mabel felt alone, to tell the truth.

She felt alone, and deserted and rather frustrated at what had occurred the day before. Not only had Bill gotten a job in the Mystery Shack by transforming himself to look like someone else, but her own great uncles and brother hadn't believe her when she told them so.

She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that even Grunkle Stan, who'd she told about Bill and who had urged her to not tell Ford and Dipper, wasn't believing her even a bit.

It didn't make sense, and it only made her feel like she was going even more insane.

''Grunkle Stan'' she called out, lifting her eyes up from her cereal and looking over at her great uncle, who had just made his way into the kitchen.

He groaned, lazily grabbing a mug from the cabin and pouring some coffee into it. Taking a seat across from her in the kitchen table, he took a bitter sip of it. ''Oh, hey, kiddo''

''Grunkle Stan, do you think I'm crazy?'' lifting her spoon of, she shoved a spoonful of cheerios into her mouth.

''Of course you are, you're nuts''

''No, but like thinks-the-new-worker-is-Bill-Cipher crazy?''

Stan rubbed his eyes, tiredly, raising an eyebrow. ''You don't still believe that, do you?''

''Yes, I do. I'm not lying, he really is Bill'' Mabel then lowered her voice down to a low murmur. ''Come on, I told you he was following me around. Why don't you believe me?''

''Listen, sweetie'' Stan sighed, and she could tell he was trying his best to not raise his voice at her. ''Maybe being back here in Gravity Falls has brought back some bad memories, and is making you think things that aren't true-''

''-But I'm not making stuff up, it's true!''

''Mabel, Samuel isn't Bill. Bill is gone, and he's not coming back ever again'' even through his stern words, Mabel could detect the slight sound of what seemed to be uncertainty. ''I'm sorry, kid, but you're going to have to get over it''

She took a deep breath, before swallowing the remaining of her cereal down and rising from her chair. Placing the bowl in the sink, she straighten out her lavender sweater with pride. ''I'm going to prove to all of you that I'm right, and after, I'm going to tell you that I told you so!''

And with that, she had taken off.

Stan took another sip of his coffee, leaning an elbow on the table while sighing deeply. All he could do was think back to his nephew and wife, just wondering what they would think of him at the very moment.

''Forgive me'' was all he murmured, before drinking out of his mug again.

This time, the coffee was just as bitter.

* * *

''What did you do to my family?'' Mabel hissed, stomping her way over to where Bill was sweeping. A few feet away behind the counter was Dipper reading a book, his mind to focus on what was in his hands for him to even notice that Mabel had come into the store.

The demon smiled sweetly at her, turning his head slightly. ''Good morning, Mabel''

''Tell me you stupid Dorito'' she mumbled, fighting the urge to kick him in the face. ''I know you convince them somehow''

''What? You don't believe that my human self could get a job in this dump so easily? You certainly have low expectations of me''

Mabel growled, throwing her head back. ''Just answer my question''

''Well,'' Bill began sweeping again, even slower than he had been. ''I might've put a few thoughts in their minds to convince them. Although, I do have to say that convincing good ol' Stanley wasn't that hard''

''Wait, what? Why?''

''Well your precious Grunkle has been trying to run away from something for the longest time, and let's just say he's trying his best to try to forget what's coming''

Mabel scanned his face, to which he didn't find any sign of the demon lying. ''What is he trying to forget?''

Bill leaned closer to her, tilting her chin up so that her eyes were meeting his, directly. ''Something you have already''

Something about his words caused an eerie feeling to run down her spine, and judging by Bill's growing smirk, he had known it. Taking a step back from him, Mabel rapidly turned her head to look over at Dipper, who had just flipped a book page over.

He hadn't caught any of it, which only led her to feel even more frustration.

''Give it up, shooting star'' Bill spoke, staring down at the wooden floor. ''They're never going to believe you''

''I'll make them believe me, I won't let you get away with this'' she huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Bill snorted, to which caused her to groan in anger. ''What?''

''You're cute when you're angry'' he leaned over her again, pulling his head down so that his lips were just an inch away from her ear. ''Maybe you should be angry more often''

Before Mabel's fists could collide with Bill's mouth, she heard Stan's voice calling her name from the living room. With tightened fists, she gradually began to walk backwards, making sure to continue to glare at an amused Bill.

Lifting her index and middle fingers, she signaled him that she was watching him, before she (unfortunately) tripped over some merchandise boxes and ended up falling on her butt. Bill's smirk only grew, and through heated cheeks, she made her way towards her great uncle.

Whatever Bill had said about Stan, Mabel didn't want to believe. Sure her grunkle had done many things in his many years of life, but there couldn't be something he could still possibly be running from; at least, not anymore.

So what in heavens had the isosceles triangle been talking about?

 **Hey guys, sorry to make this chapter short, but lately it's been really stressful with school and everything and I just wanted to update for you guys already. How are yall? Did yall start school already too? If so, I hope you have an awesome school year and you made amazing grades (: Let's do a quick little review and slay now!**

 **NuclearCanine: Thank you so, so, so much! You're review has made me so very happy and I really hope that I don't disappoint you! Thank you again!**

 **Guest: whaaaaattt? No way, dude, I'm so hella jealous! :D and hey, I was kind of close, wasn't I? ;)**

 **SweetieYammy: thank you so much, beautiful! I really appreciate it!**

 **Berrybanana05: Anything for you, sweetie! c:**

 **GFfanatic: thank you! Already on it (:**

 **FireDragonX23: haha, I know right! That crazy Bill always messing things up :p**

 **Also, guys, I'd really appreciate it if you sent me your ideas of what you want to see or just where you want this to head because I have a general idea of what I want but I'm not very sure yet. PLEASE REVIEW XXXXX Love you! ~Lexi**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, darlings! So I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I kid you not, school gives me no time to do anything. I literally get home, if I'm not staying for a meeting for a club or something, and by the time I finish eating, it's already 5:40 and then it's homework for the rest of the night until around ten. So yeah, I guess I shouldn't be making excuses, but I really am sorry.**

 **Anyway, so why don't we start out with a few reviews, because your reviews always make me happy. Let's Q AND SLAY :p**

 **erin05774: thank you so much! (:**

 **Berrybanana05: First of all thank you so, so , so much! Yeah, I was definitely thinking about Ford, Dipper and Mabel all-knowing at the same time, and Ford being super pissed at his brother for it. I do believe that Ford would go as far as to hold that grudge against Stan, but he'll eventually realize that there was no choice because they had to save Mabel (: Thank you for reading! I loved the dialogue you came up with!**

 **ilovefanfics105: yaaaas, girl! I was actually thinking about somewhat doing that. I don't know, I feel like I'm going to ruin it if I go too fast, so cross your fingers I won't mess up the story!**

 **feefee242: thank you! You're the sweetest!**

 **MaYhEm: thanks, darling! I love hearing from you (:**

 **FlowerGirl21: thank you so much for the suggestions :D I'll definitely use these for future planning. Thank you for reading! It means a lot xx**

 **Guest: aw thank you! You're amazing!**

 **NamlessBeliever: thank you so much! You're review made me smile (:**

 **Anonymous: lmao, this made me laugh cx yeah, I'll try to focus on that and try to develop it. Love you!**

 **FireDragonX23: haha thank you! You're awesome!**

 **Guest: aw, cutiepie! You made me blush!**

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 **Tick Tock (guest): Can I just say your comment motivated me to finish this tonight? Like thank you so much, I keep rereading your review because oh my gosh you're far too perfect!**

 **Anonomnom: That someday is today, my dear friend! :D Thank you so much for reading, you're literally the sweetest.**

 **Just wanted to thank you again for reviewing! There were times when I didn't want to finish this story, but every time I see a review it makes me so happy (: Thank you, my loves! And now, let's start!**

Chapter 10

 _Anxiety and guilt._

 _That's all Bianca could feel._

 _Anxiety, guilt and failure._

 _Failure to be a good mother._

 _Guilt of having wiped her children's minds of the last few memories they'd had growing up._

 _Anxious, only thinking that she'd done it without purpose._

 _She opened the door to Dipper and Mabel's bedroom, peeping inside the dimly lit room as quietly as she could. They both slept peacefully, Mabel on one side of the room hugging tightly to her numerous stuffed animals and Dipper on the other side with a book sprawled next to him. Her lips fell into a frown as she leaned against the door frame, and observed them._

 _She remembered it all, what had occurred a few hours ago far too vividly. She remembered walking hand in hand with her two children, and Jason and Stan walking a few feet behind them. She remembered the Stupid Blind Eye Society leading them under the Gravity Falls History museum and into their chambers. She remembered how much pain she felt as Dipper and Mabel both stared up at her with her husband's round dark eyes, and how she nearly fainted when a crazy like man named McGucket pointed the gun in front of their little confused faces and fired._

 _The two children were knocked out almost immediately, and she didn't dare make eye contact with her husband as he carried them both in his arms. She locked herself in the bathroom as soon as she'd gotten home and wept; wept with so much intensity, she'd nearly collapsed from it all._

 _Bianca knew it was her choice, and that it was to save her children from Bill, but why did it all feel so wrong? Why did her motherly heart ache as much as it did as she stared at her two sleeping babies?_

'' _couldn't sleep?'' she heard a voice ask from behind her._

 _She snapped her head over to the figure, closing the door to the room before managing a small smile. ''Hey, Stan. I just needed to check up on the kids again, you know, just in case''_

 _Her uncle in law nodded, and she could see how exhausted he was as well just by the gloomy look to his eyes. ''Where's Jace?''_

'' _I'm guessing in the guest room,'' Bianca's gaze fell to the floor, sighing. ''He really hasn't been up for talking ever since I decided to go along with it''_

 _Jason had been right to not agree to it, stating that there was a better way, but she'd been too stubborn to listen. Now, here she was, looking over her poor children without her husband by her side. The world couldn't had felt lonelier._

'' _Listen, kid, you did what you had to'' Stan scratched the back of his neck. ''don't worry, tomorrow you'll be heading back home, and the kids won't know anything about a Bill. You're gonna be just fine''_

'' _Yeah, thanks Uncle Stan'' she nodded. ''Honestly, thank you''_

 _He grinned, and the second he was out of sight, she felt a warm tear fall from her eyes, followed by many more. She slid down the wall, arms wrapped tightly around herself, and she cried._

 _Oh, did she cry._

''So let me get this straight,'' Pacifica chuckled, flipping her golden hair behind her shoulder. ''There's an extremely good looking guy working here now, and you hate his guts?''

Mabel and Pacifica sat in the living room, their feet facing up as they painted over their toenails. Ducktective was playing in the background, and they could hear the current tour going through the Mystery Shack at that very moment. Stan and Dipper were off entertaining the daily customers, while Ford was off working on some experiment he was currently doing. It was only really the girls in the house, to which had led to the conversation Mabel was now dreading. If only she hadn't brought it up; then she wouldn't have to be going through whatever she was now.

Mabel sighed, lightly brushing a neon pink onto her little toe. ''It's more complicated than that, okay?''

''What's so complicated about it? He's a hottie, you're a hottie, why aren't you together yet?''

She chuckled hearing her blonde friend's comment, shaking her head. ''If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me''

''Try me'' Pacifica wiggled her eyebrows at her, bumping shoulders. ''I bet it's one of those clichés where you hate the guy at first, and then you end up falling in love with him''

Mabel stuck out her tongue, shivering at the thought of ever loving the demon. ''Yuck, Please don't say that''

That's when she smirked. ''We're not talking about you and Dipper right now''

She instantly fell back laughing watching the blonde's face suddenly reddened. She'd suspected there was more to just friendship between her brother and friend long back when they'd been twelve, but she'd shrugged it off as nothing. Now, however, Mabel had noticed the subtle way they'd act around each other whenever the three hung out. Dipper would puff out his chest more, attempting to sound more confident while Pacifica just happened to twirl her hair more and bit her lip.

She pretended she didn't see it, but even Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford would crack jokes about her brother having a crush.

''I don't like your brother like that, that's-'' Pacifica thought for a moment. ''-Weird''

''Dipper and Paz sitting in a tree'' Mabel began to sing, standing up while careful to not trip over her drying toes. ''K-I-S-S-I-N-G''

''What? Shh, someone might hear you!'' cried out Pacifica, standing up as well.

Mabel only grinned evilly. ''First comes love-''

''don't!''

''-Then comes marriage-''

''Please, don't finish that''

''-Then comes Paz with the baby carriage!''

Pacifica growled into her hands, as Mabel fell into a giggle fit. That's when they heard Grunkle Stan calling for them in the Mystery Shack, to which they instantly walked into.

Standing over the counter were Stan and Dipper counting dollar bills, and Bill leaning on his chair smugly. Mabel glared at him the moment their eyes met, but she knew he couldn't take her seriously with her walking in like a penguin, careful to not mess up her toenails.

''Yes, Grunkle Stan?''

''Come look at all this money we made munchkin'' Stan let out a rejoiced cry, pulling her into a side hug. ''it's beautiful I tell you, and it's all thanks to that guy''

He pointed over to Bill, who smirked even wider if possible. The golden blond haired guy shrugged his shoulders, carelessly, waving him off. ''Please, Mr. Pines, it's a team effort''

''You convinced all those women to buy more things'' Stan grinned to himself. ''Well, actually I feel that I did too''

They all rolled their eyes at the same time, much to her great uncle's annoyance.

''Hello, you must me the new hunk Mabel was telling me about'' Pacifica spoke, walking over to Bill and extending her small hand. ''I'm Pacifica, Pacifica Northwest''

Mabel nearly vomited at that very moment, and she accidently met Bill's eyes again. She could've sworn there was a spark to them, as he turned to look at her friend. ''Hunk, you say? I'm Samuel Oak, pleasure to meet such a beautiful girl''

He gradually grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his lips, pacing a gentle kiss on it. Mabel felt she was drowning during every second of it, and she had to fight to urge to pull her away from the psychopath. Turning to look at Dipper, she was more than relieved when she saw a familiar expressing come across his face.

''Ugh, teenagers'' Stan sighed, grabbing the money from Dipper's grasp and turning towards the living room door. ''I'm out of here''

''So tell me, what else has Mabel said about me? I'm hoping all good things'' Bill said, sending her his most charming smile.

Pacifica giggled (she actually giggled, that traitor!), leaning closer. ''Sorry, girl talk remains a secret. Although if you're so interested, why don't you just ask her?''

Bill's head turned towards her, as she folded her arms and turned her gaze elsewhere. ''Good things?''

''The worst''

''Hey, Paz, wanna take a walk around town?'' Dipper suddenly spoke, much to everyone's surprise and Mabel's relief. Dipper smiled, sincerely, hands in pockets. ''We can get something to eat, my treat''

Pacifica was about to respond almost immediately, but then turned to look at Mabel. They had planned a girl's day, after all, but Mabel didn't hesitate to nod her head eagerly.

''Yeah, sure'' Paz tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, grinning. ''Let me just put on my shoes, and we can go''

Both Dipper and Pacifica walked over to the living room, and now Mabel found herself alone with stupid Bill again. She just stood there with a clear scowl on her face and arms folded across her chest while Bill continued to lean over his chair with a smirk. She couldn't take it any longer, and as she turned to walk back after Dipper and Pacifica, she heard his voice.

''You know, jealously looks great on you''

She took a deep breath, stomping over to him. ''What are you talking about?''

''You were jealous of me and your little friend,'' Bill leaned too close to her, and all she could think to do was bite her lower lip. ''You think I didn't hear your distraught thoughts? I have to say, I'll definitely try that again''

''Listen here, you freaking Dorito!'' Mabel said through gritted teeth. ''I wasn't jealous! I was freaking out over the fact that Pacifica was being touched by a stupid dream demon!''

''Hmm,'' Bill chuckled. ''Somehow I find that hard to believe''

Mabel groaned, throwing her head back. ''Fine, whatever, believe whatever you want, but stay away from Pacifica!''

''Or what? You and your brother going to turn me into stone again?''

''Yes!'' she cried out. ''I will personally send you back to hell!''

''Sounds like a jealous tantrum to me''

Mabel had to compose herself, in order to keep herself from punching him in the face. Bill only laughed heartedly, placing his hand on her head. ''I'm only teasing, shooting star. Don't you know, I'm already yours?''

She only glared at him once more, before walking off. He's already hers? She doesn't want him, thank you very much.

 **I hope I didn't disappoint (: Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Mabel had been keeping a close eye on Bill for over a few weeks, trying to her best to prove to everyone who he really was. Of course, as expected by everyone else, all of her attempts had ended in disastrous failures.

No matter what she did, no matter how well it was planned, Bill always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

The first thing she tried was to get him as mad as possible. See, everyone knew the demon had some very- distinct- anger issues, and if Bill was to grow red and show his real form, then her family would finally believe her. So she did everything she could (pulling pranks on him, undoing all his hard work, etc.), but the stupid demon would just wave it off and laugh. She thought she'd almost gotten him when he'd mopped the entire store, and she ended up stomping all over the place with muddy shoes and even getting some on the ceiling, but eventually he simply took a deep breath and mopped it all again.

Mabel was disappointed, but she wasn't ready to let it go just yet.

The second thing that came to mind was to make the shielding spell they'd done when they were younger, which meant having to get all the supplies. It was all easy, that is until it came down to the unicorn hair. Mabel had thought it'd be a straightforward job, simply fighting a unicorn and stealing some of its hair, but to say the unicorns had become even more merciless was an understatement. Not only had she returned back to the mystery shack without a single hair, but she had bruises and cuts all over her. As expected, her family began to question everything, and wanting to not spoil the truth, she told them she'd fallen while on a walk. They hadn't believed it, and for the next days, Dipper followed her around everywhere she went, Grunkle Stan had taught her how to use three different type of weapons and Grunkle Ford had called the sheriffs to tell them to keep a look out for anything suspicious.

Finally, there was the third try. Mabel had locked Bill in the supplies room, telling him she'd only let him out if he'd show his true form to her family. But like all her other plans, they'd come to a failure when she'd realized she'd forgotten to lock the only window in the room. For the rest of the day, there was nothing but Bill's glares and Mabel's wondering eyes refusing to look at him.

She'd grown so desperate, she'd eventually grabbed a bag of Doritos and begun eating them right in front of Bill while he was working. Doritos were triangles, and Bill was a triangle therefore he was a Dorito, so shouldn't it be like she'd be eating his family? He didn't think so, or at least even cared, as he grabbed ahold of one and ate it as slowly as he could with a smirk.

Mabel didn't know what else she could do; all she wanted was for someone to see what she did, instead of thinking she'd gone insane.

''Mabel, I know what you're doing'' she heard Dipper say, while doing their usual bed making in the morning. Placing her pillows neatly on the bed, she turned her head to look at her twin brother with a smile. ''Yeah, you're doing it too!''

''No, I'm talking about trying to prove Samuel is Bill'' he folded his arms across his chest, sitting on his bed with a knowing glare.

She nervously tucked on the ends of her hair, laughing. ''Oh, yeah, that. How do you know?''

''I'm your twin, I know you better than I know myself'' Dipper took a deep breath. ''He's just a guy working here, not a one eyed demon looking for world domination. Maybe if you got to know him better, you'd see Samuel is a pretty nice guy''

''except he is a demon looking for world domination'' she murmured under her breath, fluffing out her Chat Noir pillow.

''What?''

''What?'' she asked, innocently.

Dipper sighed again, rubbing his temples. ''Please just promise me you'll leave the poor guy alone. I'm starting to think Bill's statue is better off than he's been these past days''

Mabel suddenly froze, unable to move at all. That was it! If Bill really was alive, then that surely meant his statue wouldn't be there anymore, and there had been a spoken rule around town that no one was to touch it ever again. She needed to take Dipper there; that was the only way to prove her sanity.

''Let's go!'' she grabbed ahold of his wrist, beginning to pull him out their bedroom door. Dipper only raised an eyebrow, not even trying to lift his feet. ''Whoa, there. Where are we going?''

''Please, dipping sauce, just trust me!'' she grinned widely, with the best pleading eyes she could conjure up. ''I promise you'll be surprised when you see it, or should I say don't''

''you are scaring me'' but before he could say anything else, she'd dragged him down the stairs. Passing by the kitchen, she waved at her great uncles. ''DipperandIaregoingtogosomewhereandwontcomebacktilllunchokaybye!'' And then preceded to run out the front door. They were halfway there when she noted her brother's heavy breathing, to which she decided to quit running only to find herself exhausted as well. Dipper took deep breaths, hands on knees and about ready to fall over. ''Mabel, I love you, but please never make me run that much ever again''

''its okay,'' she wiped the sweat off her forehead, placing her purple hairband on properly and adjusting her lavender cat sweater. ''We can just walk the rest of it out''

''Where are we going exactly? And why is it so important?''

''You say Bill's statue is still around'' instantly, she could tell Dipper regretted asking. ''Well, I will prove to you that it's not''

''Mabel-''

''Dipper, please'' she tilted her head up, letting the sun's warmth fall upon her face. ''Why don't you believe me? How could you think I'd ever lie about something like this, especially with everything that's happened with our parents and all?''

Beginning to walk ahead, she huffed. ''I get it, it's not believable from your perspective, but I would believe you if it was you telling me this. I thought we'd always believe in each other''

She could see how Dipper's face had twisted into a mixture of guilt and confusion, as his feet fought to catch up with her. ''I know, It's just not-''

He stopped, before his lips broke out into a small smile. ''you're right, Mabel, I'm sorry. Let's go see if that's statue is still there then''

With a grin back, Mabel and Dipper made their way towards the forest, going deeper and deeper every step. To be fair, the twins hadn't gone to see the statue since they were twelve, but judging from the warning signs put up, they were heading the right direction. They eventually reached the familiar area, and never had Mabel seen Dipper's eyes widen as largely as they were at that very moment staring down at the vacant spot where Bill's statue had been.

Her brother panicked at first, trying to reason with himself as to what had happened, but he only stressed himself more pulling on his hat. He then kneeled down, only staring down at it in utter confusion without saying a single word. Finally, he came to his senses, rising to his feet and grabbing ahold of her shoulders. ''Mabel, his statue isn't here''

''I know'' she smiled, smugly.

''Where is he?''

''Back at the mystery shack, going by the name of Samuel Oak''

Dipper shook his head. ''B-But that's-''

''Crazy, stupid, impossible'' her smile only grew. ''I've heard it all before''

''Listen, I don't think I'd go as far as to say Samuel is Bill, but there's no denying it'' He let out a low whistle, still turning to look at the spot. ''the demon's out there somewhere''

''Just wait until I prove-''

There was rustling from the trees nearby, and almost instantly, Dipper hid her behind him. Gradually walking backwards with her hands on his arm, the twins examined everything in front of them. Soon, they were greeted by the sight of a young boy and girl, no older than ten with tears in their eyes. They rapidly ran up to them each, wrapping their arms around them and crying into their clothes.

Dipper and Mabel promptly exchanged glances, patting the children's heads. ''What happened?''

''Daddy took us for a walk, and daddy got hurt and he needs help!'' the girl shouted, in between tears. She grabbed ahold of her hand, trying her best to take her to drag her. ''Please, help!''

''Do you guys have a cell phone on you?'' Dipper asked. ''We can call for help that way''

''No, no! Let's go!'' the boy cried out, beginning to drag him too. With another look, Dipper and Mabel both agreed to let the children lead them.

Mabel felt that there was something off about it all, and judging by Dipper's face, so did he. However, if there really was someone who needed assistance, they couldn't just leave the children to deal with it. There was no one else at the forest, so who knew when they'd find someone else to help.

''So where's your dad?'' she asked, once the girl's footsteps had ceased. It was then that she realized just how deep in the forest they really were. The girl giggled, followed by the boy, and soon enough they were both laughing far too psychotically for two normal children. Eventually, Dipper and her agreed to make a run for it, only to be thrown back by a sudden spider web. They both turned and were met with the sight of two arachnimorphs, staring back at them with the children's faces. They crawled away, only for the two creatures to tower over them.

''what a good idea, Dorothus, tricking them into following us'' the woman spoke, smiling. ''I haven't had teenagers for dinner in ages''

''Please, don't eat us'' Mabel mumbled.

The so called Dorothus leaned down closer to her, his hairy leg brushing over her arm, much to her fear. ''Ah, you're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Neema, you can have the boy. I'm going to have a lot of fun taring this one up limb by limb''

''don't touch her!'' Dipper shouted, smashing a rock into the arachnimorphs' face. The creature let out a low cry, to which her twin took the opportunity to grab her and yell '' run!''

It didn't take long for the spider things to follow, though, and soon enough, they were inches from them. But Dipper and Mabel weren't giving up, and through constant rock throwing, they were able to somewhat be ahead of them. Eventually, they caught up, and soon enough Dipper and Mabel ran into one of their large webs. Mabel was terrified, to say the least, not being able to move an arm or leg due to the stupid web. The creatures just laughed, their heads now transformed completely into spiders as they lowered their heads to take their first bites.

That was it.

Dipper and her would die getting eaten alive, and no one would be around to tell what happened.

She was going to miss Dipper, her grunkles, Pacifica, Soos, Wendy and even the stupid dorito demon. She didn't even have a chance to graduate high school, or fall in love, or get married or go on to be a fashion designer like she'd always wanted. This was the end of her, and at least there was a comfort knowing her parents and Waddles would be waiting for her on the other side.

Closing her eyes, however, she heard something (or should she say, someone) who seemed too unreal.

''old friends of mine, how do you do?''

She opened her eyes to see Bill standing next to their web with a smirk on his face. The two creatures grunted, stepping back slightly. ''Bill Cipher,'' Dorothus exclaimed. ''What brings you here?''

''Bill?'' she heard Dipper choke out in disbelief.

''Oh, you know, just doing what I normally do when I decided to see what my fiancée was up to. You know what I saw?'' Bill laughed, closing his only eye, before opening it to show flames. ''I saw her here about to be eaten by you imbeciles!'' his voice was cold and low, even scaring her. The arachnimorphs turned white, staring at each other in fear.

''We didn't know she was your fiancée'' Dorothus tried to explain. ''We would never hurt anything of yours''

''What did you say to her? That you would enjoy taring her up limb by limb?'' Bill was growing a bloody red, with golden magic leaking from his hands. ''Why, you can't imagine how glad I'll be to do the same to you and your little friend''

Bill snapped his fingers, and suddenly, Mabel was lowered gently from the web to the floor while Dipper fell flat on his face. The blond turned to smirk at her, blowing her a kiss. ''I'd get going if I were you, shooting star. It's about to get very bloody, and I don't think your human stomach would be able to take it''

That was enough for her to grab Dipper's hand and run out of there like their lives depended on it. Even then, as they passed all the trees and tall grass, they could still hear the blood curling screams from the forest. Clearly they weren't Bill's, so that brought at least a tiny bit of relieve to her. Still, they didn't stop running until they were outside the door to the mystery shack.

''W-What the h-hell j-just happen b-back there?'' Dipper cried out, pointing to the direction of the forest while attempting to take deep breaths.

She collapsed on the wooden stairs, inhaling as much oxygen as her body could take. Gulping, she held onto her stomach. ''Bill just saved us''

''B- Bill's alive and he saved us'' Dipper collapsed next to her, letting out an exhausted groan. ''I can't believe it''

''He's been alive, all right'' and yet her mind just couldn't wrap itself around something. ''Wait, did he call me his fiancee?''


	12. Chapter 12

_Bianca regretted sending Dipper and Mabel to Gravity Falls, no matter how much it pained her to think about. They'd decided to send the kids away after having seen them waste their summers in past years, not to mention nothing out of the ordinary had happened since they'd last seen Stan, so it sounded like a good opportunity for the twins to go explore somewhere new._

 _Of course, she didn't expect an explanation of all the strange happenings that had occurred, and at the sound of a certain demon's name, she'd practically dropped the plate she was carrying to the table during dinner. Not only had Dipper and Mabel seen Bill, but they'd even gone as far as to almost being hurt by him. Bianca could only hear on, her eyes still wide and mouth hanging low at their every word. Mabel didn't seem affected at all by it, instead, she remained just as bubbly as ever._

'' _-But it was the best!'' Mabel grinned, after ending her story about punching a unicorn in the face. ''I can't wait to go back to see everyone!''_

'' _We can't let them go back ever again'' Bianca spoke, getting into bed after everything that had occurred since the twins' arrival. Jason was already laying down, eyes looking straight ahead at the ceiling. ''He almost got them''_

'' _How could Uncle Stan not tell us?'' Jace said. ''My son and daughter were so close to that stupid triangle''_

'' _Do you think they know?'' she asked, as low as she could muster._

'' _I doubt it,'' Jason turned his back to her, sighing. ''Mabel would've told us''_

'' _Jace, do you regret making the deal?''_

 _There was a long silence. ''Sometimes I wonder what our lives would've been like if we hadn't''_

Dipper paced back and forth the attic room, fingers running madly through his dark hair and low mumbles leaving his lips. His breathing had normalized from all the running, and he refused to make eye contact with anything either than the floor. Mabel observed him carefully, sitting on her bed and her fingers playing with one of her pillows.

She wasn't sure what to say herself after having gone through something as terrifying as almost getting eaten by those stupid human spiders, and she definitely couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the demon had saved them.

The entire time, she'd thought Bill was just playing with her like he would to anything when he was bored, but she just couldn't rationalize why he'd gone through the trouble of helping them. And what was with the whole fiancée thing? Was it just a tactic to fill the monsters with even more fear? Nothing made sense, and Mabel was beginning to think she imagined it all.

''Mabel,'' her brother final spoke up, his head bobbing towards her. ''What happened?''

''I'm just as lost as you are,'' she sighed, holding her pillow closer. ''Bill surprised me, but I'm glad he showed up when he did''

''I don't get it, why would he save us? He was literally playing to see which one of us he was going to kill first only four years ago!''

''Maybe it's like a dominance thing'' Mabel sprang up. ''Like if he can't kill us, no one can''

''this is too weird, way too weird'' Dipper began to pace again almost unconsciously. ''I mean, the grunkles aren't even here to talk to, and even if they were they'd probably think we imagined the whole thing''

Mabel didn't say anything at first, only looking down at her swinging feet. ''So what do we do now?''

''We'll have to summon Bill up again and find out what he wants, that's the only way we can find out what's going on''

''Or we can just wait until he comes in tomorrow,'' she mumbled under her breath.

He didn't hear, or maybe he did but didn't want to, instead he nodded his head towards the door. ''Come on, we'll grab the book from Ford's lab and find the spell to bring him here''

Mabel paused for a moment, before sighing and standing up. ''Actually, I think I know an easier way''

She cleared her throat. ''Bill, you Dorito!'' she shouted, and she could feel just how shaky her tone was. ''Come on, I know you can hear me!''

''What are you doing?'' She held her hand up.

''I won't stop yelling for you until you come here right now! I was in choir; I can hold my voice for a very long time-''

''So frustrating'' a deep voice called out from behind them, and both her and her brother froze at the sight of a sneering Bill. His hands and clothes were blooded, but he didn't mind as he sucked some of the liquid off his fingers. ''What is it now? I was in the middle of ripping out the spider's liver. Or was it something else? You can never tell with these creatures''

He let out a menacing laugh, as Dipper and she only turned to look at each other. ''Bill,'' Dipper spoke, in a low grumble full of hatred. It'd been a long time since they'd been face to face (well, eye to eye as Bill was technically a floating triangle with a giant eye), and it was obvious the detestation had never changed inside her twin brother. After all, Dipper has brought up twice in the years that they weren't allowed to return to Gravity Falls that his biggest sense of fear came when Bill's eye reflected the shooting star when he was choosing who to kill first.

He had said it was a type of paralyzing fear, where all he could do was watch on in horror, not being able to do anything to stop him. Sure, the world was in danger, but in that moment, she, _his_ sister, was in danger and he couldn't do anything. Mabel had felt like that a few times herself too when it came to Dipper, and she didn't blame him for the bitterness that clicked off his mouth whenever they spoke of the demon or his promise to never forgive.

''Oh, I see'' Bill's eyes glistened, as his gaze moved from her to her brother. ''Pine tree, is that why you're so upset? You thought I would really kill precious Shooting Star?''

''What are you talking about?'' Dipper bit back, and Mabel silently cursed herself for even thinking about that with the demon around.

''All I was going to do was transport her back to her bubble while I murdered the rest of you'' Bill smiled, cheekily.

''Quit it, Bill'' Mabel cried out. ''What the hell is going on?''

Bill smirked, floating up and landing on her bed. Grabbing the pillow on his back, he shook his head. ''Chat Noir? I'm more of a polka-dot freak myself''

''Listen, I don't know why you're here but stay away from me and Mabel!'' Dipper suddenly shouted, pushing her behind him.

Bill send him a bored expression, only rolling his eyes. ''Where's the fun in that?''

Mabel could feel her head spinning, and she had to hold onto the back of Dipper's arm to even keep herself up. Bill and Dipper both noticed, as Bill raised an eyebrow and Dipper grabbed her hand. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah, I guess all the running got to me'' she chuckled, grabbing ahold of her head while Dipper sat her gently on his bed. ''Just tell us what you want, Bill''

''In all honesty, I could reveal to you the truth, even the hidden secrets of the Universe, but I think the old man telling you will be even more entertaining, don't you think?''

''Who are you talking about?'' Dipper growled.

Mabel took a deep breath. ''He's talking about Grunkle Stan''

Bill laughed. ''see? Shooting Star gets it!''

''So what exactly is he hiding from us?'' her brother asked, ''If we should even trust you''

''Have I ever done you wrong, Pine Tree?'' Their accusing glares were enough for the demon's lips to pull up into a smirk again. ''Why don't we do something more interesting like open the dimension portal and start a little world domination?''

''So are you going to tell us or not?'' Mabel snapped.

Bill pretended to think. ''Nope, I don't think so''

''Kids, come down here and help me throw stuff at Ford! He's trying to fix my grammar again!'' They heard Stan shout from downstairs with his usual grumpy voice. They turned their attention away for a second, only to look back and find the demon completely gone. Mabel growled in frustration while Dipper instantly went to kick a wall.

Glancing back at each other, Dipper spoke. ''don't say a word about this while I try to find out what's happening''

Remembering how she'd gone to Stan only for her great uncle to deny even the return of the demon, she hesitantly nodded. ''Alright''

''And whatever you do,'' Dipper warned. ''don't trust that demon''

.

.

They days after that was full of paranoia by both Dipper and Mabel, and suddenly she found she was not the only one observing Samuel's every move. Of course, ''Samuel'' ignored their glares, only continuing to do his jobs and receiving the constant praises by Stan (who'd started making a lot more money than he had been). Dipper never truly confront Samuel about really being Bill, but judging from Dipper's gaze and Bill's sneering, they'd both come to accept the truth. Even Pacifica was confused with what was happening when she walked into the store and noted just how dull and uncomfortable everything felt.

Mabel hated having to see the stupid triangle every day at the Mystery Shack, but she figured it was better to have him around than causing chaos somewhere else. Whenever she had a shift to work and Bill was there, Dipper would always be around one way or another. Even then, Bill always found a way to trouble her, whether it be by chuckling and smirking at her thoughts, staring at her whenever she tried her best to ignore him or simply being Bill.

She hated just how annoying he could get.

''Hey, kid, help me change a lightbulb in the kitchen'' Stan walked into the store, rubbing the back of his neck. Dipper, who sat next to Mabel on the counter reading a comic book, looked up. ''Just make Samuel do it''

The tone when he said Samuel clearly reflected disgust.

''He's busy'' he said nodding towards Bill mopping. ''You're not''

''But-''

''But nothing. C'mon, I don't got all day!'' Dipper sighed, making a face that clearly stated to keep watch of Bill before leaving behind Stan.

There was a moment of silence before Bill smirked at her direction. ''Pine tree really is a pain''

Mabel didn't say anything, instead she continued to knit her half-made scarf. Bill walked towards her, leaning over the counter and too close to her. ''Ignoring me are you, Shooting Star? What did I ever do to deserve this?''

''Be quiet'' she murmured, concentrating on her work.

''You know, you're the only reason why I bother with this disgusting meat suit. Do you think it's easy coming to this distasteful place and having to waste my power for useless currency just so I can keep an eye on you?''

Keep an eye on her? She'd always thought she was keeping an eye on him.

''I never get to talk to you anymore all because of your idiot brother'' Bill laughed. ''If I'd been one second quicker to kill him, we wouldn't have this problem''

''Bill, we're not your toys'' Mabel spoke. ''Just leave us alone''

''You know I can't do that''

''Why not?'' she challenged. ''You can do anything you want now that you're free, and yet you're in the one place you hate the most''

''Well, I can't have someone come in and try to take what's mine'' he smiled, tracing his fingers down her jawline. She pushed him off, standing up. ''I'm not yours okay? And what's with the whole calling me fiancée thing? I would never marry an evil triangle like you!''

''Well, technically you're not my fiancée, more like a trade but that's not a very kind word to use for someone like you''

''I'm a trade?'' she could feel her eyes widen and lower lip tremble almost immediately.

Bill shrugged, with that stupid smirk still on his face. ''It's more complicated than that, but if your heart really wants to know, yes''

''Wait, this has to do with the deal my parents made, doesn't it? They traded me for something?''

Bill shrugged as if it was the least most essential thing in the world. ''Never mind that, I think I'm going to convince your grunkle to let me stay for dinner tonight''

''No,'' Mabel muttered, shaking her head and rushing back into the home. Standing on a latter in a kitchen fixing the lightbulb was Dipper, with Stan holding onto the latter and Ford sitting down fixing an old radio. Slamming her hands on the table (almost causing Dipper to fall in the process), she glared at Stan with the angriest face she could put on.

Because truth be told, she wasn't as angry as she was hurt.

''No more lying, Grunkle Stan!'' she shouted. ''I know my parents made a deal with Bill, so either you tell us right now what it was or I'm taking a bus to Piedmont and never coming back again!''

There was audible silence, until finally Ford spoke up. ''Mabel, what are you talking about?''

''I know I was a trade! They traded me for something else, so tell me right now what that something was!'' she ignored him, feeling her eyes water.

Dipper rapidly descended from the latter, pulling her in with one arm. ''Is that what he told you?''

''Kid, I already told you that none of it is true! That stupid demon doesn't know what he's saying'' Stan huffed, crossing his arms. She noticed just how tense he was, obviously going around the claim.

''Demon? Are you speaking about Bill?'' Ford stood up. ''Stanley, tell me what's going on right now''

''I can't!'' the older man snapped. ''I promised them I'd never say''

''Who, Stanley?''

''Well, Bianca and Jason Pines, of course'' the sly voice spoke, walking into the kitchen. Ford and Stan's eyes widened in disbelieve while the twins simply glared straight at him. He was still in the clothes Samuel had worn that day, except now, his true appearance was visible.

''I don't believe it,'' Ford mumbled under his breath.

''Well believe it, sixer, because I came back for what's mine!'' Bill nudged Stan with his elbow. ''Isn't that right, old man?'

''you son of a-'' Stan stepped back, examining the demon. ''Mabel was right all along, and I wanted to ignore her''

''Tell them why'' Bill laughed loudly.

Stan gulped, and Mabel could feel her heart beating out of her chest. ''Kids, there's something you need to know''


	13. Chapter 13

_Jason and Bianca hadn't slept in over a few days, and it was driving them absolutely insane._

 _Every time Bianca closed her eyes, whether it be a minute or an hour later, she'd suddenly be bolted awake by the horrifying image in her mind. It was always the same dream with Jason, her and the twins back in Gravity Falls having a pleasant time and then everything morphing into a bloody, chaotic scene. Dead, deformed bodies laid around them, nearly all buildings completely destroyed and the sky was a roaring pitch black._

 _Jason would yell for them to go to the Mystery Shack, and as they ran, Bianca would always do her best to shield Dipper and Mabel from any upcoming dangers. But no matter how much they ran, they stayed exactly where they were and the feeling of being powerless was so overwhelming. Her motherly heart was beating out of her chest, watching all the commotion happening and not being able to get her children to safety. There was loud laughter, followed by the sight of the triangle demon a hundred times his normal size blinking down at them._

 _Jason's first instinct was to throw the three of them behind him, as he shouted to Bill what he wanted. Bill would continue to laugh, before reaching down and grabbing Mabel with his fingers. Bianca reached out, a loud whimper leaving her throat as Dipper continuingly called out for his sister. Jason rushed towards the demon, only to be pushed down to the ground by a giant finger._

'' _You know what I want'' The demon looked at a terrified Mabel in his hand. Before turning back to them. ''I'm growing a little bored now. Bring her to me, or those dead bodies will be yours next time'' He would snap his fingers and with that, she would wake up panting with sweat dripping down her body. At first she hadn't realized Jace had the same nightmare, but once she did, they understood that it was far too real._

 _Bianca could nearly remain awake during the day, and by night she refused to even blink. Jason was doing just as bad, barely making it through the day and trying his best to console her. The kids had noticed, and they often asked what was happening and if they were okay. Bianca would always send them her sweetest smile, joking about how the spring allergies had gotten a lot worse before assuring them they were fine. This, however, was a thought that often drove a sleepless night._

'' _Are we going to die?'' she finally asked, hearing the low television voices through the utter silence. Jason turned to her, obviously stunned. ''Why would you ask that?''_

'' _Bill said that if we didn't give him Mabel, that we would end up dead. We both know we would never hand our daughter over'' she gulped. ''So we're just going to have to die, right?''_

'' _He's thousands of miles away and he can't leave Gravity Falls. He can't get to us even if he wanted''_

'' _But he's getting to us now with those dreams'' Bianca sat up, taking a deep breath. ''Who's to say one of these days we fall back asleep and he murders us in the dream? He's a demon, Jace, he's more than capable of that!''_

 _Jason pulled her in; her head landing on his chest as he gently stroke her hair. She grabbed ahold of his old t-shirt as tightly as she could, trying to stop any upcoming tears. ''It's going to be okay, B, I promise. Tomorrow morning after dropping off the kids at school, we'll call Uncle Ford and Uncle Stan and see what they say. I'm sure they'll have an answer for us''_

'' _And if they don't?'' Bianca sniffed. ''What's going to happen to Dipper and Mabel?''_

'' _They're going to be okay, I promise''_

 _She wished it had ended up okay for them too._

''Your parents were good people'' Stan began, as he sat around the kitchen table with his stare towards the surface. Dipper and Mabel sat across from him entirely focused on him, while Ford continued to look between a careless Bill and his brother.

Stan could feel his hands shaking, thinking back to the young couple on their wedding day. ''I never believed in finding your soulmate, but those crazy kids always gave me a run for my money. Jason and Bianca were crazy about each other, and then when they found out she was pregnant, the two couldn't had been happier.

Before Bianca had gotten pregnant with you, she'd been pregnant just a couple of months before''

Dipper and Mabel turned to look at each other, completely in surprise. In all the time they'd been with their parents, they had never once mentioned that there had been a baby before them.

''In her third month, your mom had a miscarriage. I don't think you know what devastation is until you see a mother crying for her unborn child. Jason was a mess too, but he needed to stay strong for Bianca because he knew that if they both cracked, there was no getting back from that. I'm telling you this so that you understand how desperate your parents were when they did what they did''

''It's about to get fun!'' Bill chipped in. Mabel wanted to tell him off, but like everyone else in the room, she was at lost for words.

''When you and Dipper were born, you were a few weeks early'' Stan sighed. ''Dipper was fine, but you, Mabel, weren't fully developed. The doctors didn't think you'd make it, so your parents asked me to contact Cipher''

''No,'' Dipper mumbled under his breath. ''They couldn't have''

''I didn't want to, he'd tricked Ford and I didn't want the same thing to happen again, but they were so frantic. Bill showed up and he asked that in return of saving Mabel, he'd take her at eighteen. Jason said no, but in the moment of motherly weakness, your mom made a deal with him and accepted.''

''I can't believe this!'' Ford cried out. ''Stanley, how could you let them go through with that?''

Stan stood from his chair, slamming his hands on the table. ''What was I supposed to do? Deny them any chance of saving their newborn daughter?''

''You're a coward! You've been trying to run away from this! Where you ever planning on telling me or the kids? Or were you just going to wait until Cipher took Mabel to finally speak up?''

As her great uncles continued to go back and forth, all Mabel could do stare down at her feet. The image of her dad and mom were fresh in her brain, and yet instead of the usual warm feeling it brought, it was poisoned with a sense of betrayal and anger. Why had her parents done something so stupid? How could they have watched her grow up and talk about everything she'd do with her life and not say a word?

How could they have taken her life while trying to save it?

Her heart was hurting too much, as she clutched her fists against her jeans and tried to stop the tears that fell down her cheeks. She couldn't, however, and without being able to stop herself, she had fully broken down. Stan and Ford's had ceased; now all she could hear was her cries in the quiet kitchen. Dipper placed an arm around her, gradually pulling her into a tight hug.

They should've let her died that night.

They should've been selfless for once and let her die freely.

What was she supposed to do now, having figured it all out and them being gone?

''Oh, Shooting Star, thinking they should've let you died is not very positive of you'' Bill spoke, having made his way to her other side with a cunning smile. ''I, for one, enjoy your existence''

Ford and Stan stood in front of her, as Dipper growled at his direction. ''One step closer and I'll kill you'' Ford said through gritted teeth.

Bill busted out in laughter. ''You tried that already, remember? Sorry to break your heart, sixer, but this deal is the reason I'm still here. If it hadn't been for this, I wouldn't have a reason to return''

''What do you want in exchange for Mabel?'' Stan managed to ask.

''hmm, four years ago I might've given you an answer, but I'm afraid it's too late'' Bill smirked. ''I do have to say, seeing so much pest emotion in one room makes me so… intrigued''

Mabel stood wiping the tears from her eyes. ''Answer me something, Bill''

''For you, anything''

''Did you have anything to do with my parents' death?''

''tomato, _tomato_ '' Bill grinned innocently. ''I'm part of it as much as you are''

Mabel felt her heart sink, only able to freeze in her spot. Dipper grabbed Bill by the shirt and pushed him against the wall. ''What's that supposed to mean?''

''I think you know what that means, pine tree''

''I need to go out'' Mabel choked out, rushing towards the front door. She felt a hand grab ahold of her arm, to which she turned to find an angered Dipper. ''I'll go with you''

''I just- I need to be alone'' she said, her voice cracking, before running out. Dipper watched her from the doorframe, not being able to say anything else. Stan and Ford were hiding their faces into their hands, while Bill simply let out one last laugh.

''Well, that's my cue to go!'' and with a snap of fingers, he was gone.

Stan made his way towards Dipper, not knowing how to reach out. ''Kiddo, I-''

''don't'' was all Dipper muttered before running up the stairs. Ford only looked at him, pure disgust in his eyes, before heading down to his laboratory. Stan threw himself onto the couch, hiding his face once again. Looking up to the wooden ceiling, he took a deep breath. ''I'm so sorry, you two''

There was utter silence.

'' _Why are we heading to Oregon and why so late at night?'' Bianca asked, staring out the car window and at the passing buildings._

 _Jason, who was having a hard time focusing on the road ahead, only inhaled. ''Uncle Stan said it was a good idea to go as soon as possible. He says once we get there, we can all explain to Uncle Ford what happened''_

'' _But it's Wednesday, do you really think it was a good idea to leave the kids by themselves on a week day?''_

'' _I asked Mrs. Florian to look after them before they leave to school and afterwards'' Jason rolled his neck back and forth. ''They're sixteen, they'll be fine''_

'' _But why so sudden-''_

'' _Bianca, please!" Jason snapped. She didn't say anything only, continued to look at the passing streets. ''I'm sorry'' he finally spoke up. ''With all this lack of sleep, I've been hanging on a thread''_

'' _You're not the only one, okay?'' She took a deep breath. ''I get it, we need to get help for what's happening, but we can't just leave behind our parent duties to put ourselves first.''_

'' _Yeah, I know''_

 _The roads were long, with many cars driving beside them. Even with the radio put on high volume, Bianca could feel herself drifting to sleep, only to try to blink herself awake. Her eyes were growing tired by the second, she couldn't even keep her senses sane as she tried her best from drifting asleep. She could feel Jason was growing tired as well, and she found herself worried he might fall asleep behind the wheel. They'd only been driving behind the wheel for over four hours, but it had ended up being too much for them to handle._

'' _Just pull over somewhere, Jace'' she spoke with a slurred voice. ''You're too tired''_

'' _No, it's okay, I can keep going'' Bianca could hear the uncertainty behind his voice._

'' _Please, sweetheart, just pull over''_

'' _I said I'm-''_

 _That's when it happened. Jace had somehow shifted to the lane on their left and hit a trailer, causing them to suddenly spin out of the highway and eventually leading to the car flipping over. Everything was occurring too fast, but she felt every pain, every movement, every jerk. She felt how a piece of glass got stuck to her side, and watched once the car stopped turning, how a bloodied Jason's chest rose one last time._

 _She wanted to cry out his name and reach for him, try to shake him awake, but she couldn't stay conscious enough to even tell what was happening anymore._

 _Her last thoughts, before finally giving into an eternal sleep, were on the young boy and girl that had made her life worth living. Her time with them flashed before her eyes, watching them grow from babies to the teenagers now, and for once, a small glint of happiness filled her._

 _With a small smile on her lips and a tear falling from her eyes, Bianca Pines took one last breath and never woke up again._

 _That night, Dipper and Mabel didn't sleep an ounce._


	14. Chapter 14

**I want to apologize for my long absence from all my fanfictions these past months. This is my last year of high school and as many of you know, it can also be very stressful and time consuming. I don't promise to update this weekly, but I do promise that I will finish it. Thank you for your lovely reviews and for reading this. It is truly an honor to have such amazing readers.**

Mabel hadn't left her room much after that day.

She'd gone out to the lake until after the sun had long set under the horizon, her feet dangling off the lake deck watching the sun rays reflecting over the water. There was the occasional bird chipping, the sound of the wind blowing through the large pine trees and the distant echoes of fishermen from across all coming and going.

At first, she'd been fuming, kicking everything in sight and letting out loud cries. She'd stomp her way towards the edge of the deck, staring down at the clear water and catching her own reflection. She wanted to jump in, wanted to feel anything besides the suffocating anger that was rushing through her veins, and yet she couldn't force herself to. Maybe it was the knowing stabbing sensation that would hit her if she were to jump into the cold water, or maybe it was her own dad's eyes staring back at her from the lake; all Mabel could really do was fall onto wooden deck in defeat.

With tears falling from her eyes for what felt like hours, she'd simply sat there looking up at the warm sky. Not wanting to think of anything or of anyone, she'd laid there until Dipper had eventually found her.

He'd attempted to make conversation, talking about how he couldn't imagine how she must be feeling, but all his words seemed to be grow more distant the less she wanted to pay attention. He noticed after a few minutes and simply helped her up before the two made their way back to the shack. Ford and Stan sat in the living room in utter silence until she'd made her way in, and with one glance, she'd already begun to make her way up the stairs.

She knew Stan wanted to say something, anything at all, to make it better, but he didn't even try.

All she could do was let the warmth of her blankets consume her completely.

''Mabel,'' Dipper spoke up, taking a deep breath.

He'd been patient with her the last few days, feeding her and keeping her company, but she knew he was growing inpatient.

''You can't lay in bed for the rest of your life. Please, just get up''

She remained silent.

''don't you want to go outside? Come on, you love the outdoors! We can go to all your favorite places if you want''

He was trying and she appreciated it, but she didn't have it in her to want to move. ''I'm just tired''

''How? You've been laying down for five days straight, don't you feel smothered or something-'' hearing his own voice growing strong and loud, Dipper cleared his throat. ''Mabel, I know what Stan and our parents did was unforgivable, but you can't mourn for the rest of your life''

''I know,'' she mumbled.

''So, why are you?''

''I'll be better by tomorrow'' she managed a small smile. ''I promise''

Dipper only stared at her for a moment, before burying his face into his hands. ''You know Ford and I have been looking for a way out of it for days, right?'' he stated, walking towards the door. ''Don't think you're alone in all of this''

She nodded, and he left.

That was over two days ago.

Now, with the back of her head against her pillow and her eyes looking up at the dark ceiling, she could sense all sleepiness gone from her body. It was midnight, and the blackened room along with Dipper's light snores should've hinted her to sleep, but she just couldn't.

Inhaling deeply, she let her mind wonder onto the thought of her parents.

She missed her dad's loving nature; how he'd make them laugh easily, the way he could make anything fun and how he would learn everything about her latest obsession because she loved it so much. She missed her mom's joyful presence that accompanied her always, how she'd kiss them goodnight no matter how old they had gotten and how persistent she was in everything she wanted to do.

She missed their voices, the sound of their dad's keys rattling after getting home from work and the smell of their mom's perfume. She missed how in love her parents had been; how her dad would hug her mom from behind whenever she was cooking, how they frequently went on date nights and even seeing them kiss after Dipper and her had protested it.

She missed them both more than ever, and for that, Mabel hated herself.

''Jason and Bianca would be so sad to see their precious daughter like this'' a familiar voice taunted from a short distance, causing her to shoot up. ''So vulnerable, so miserable''

Glancing around, her eyes locked with Bill's figure making her way towards her. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, feeling her legs slightly wobble beneath her. ''What the hell do you want, Bill?''

''I came to check up on my favorite girl'' She could see a grin evaded his lips through the moonlight. ''Its been a while since I've seen you''

''Well I don't want to see you ever again''

''It's cute how you think you have a say in this''

Mabel rolled her eyes, hugging herself with her arms. ''Listen, I know my parents and grunkle Stan made a stupid deal with you, but you don't have to be here until its time''

Bill's smile only grew larger. ''But I want to. You're much more entertaining than anything else here in this dump of a town''

''Just go before I yell at Dipper to wake up''

''Mindscape'' he sang, walking around her in a circle.

She pushed him away once he was right in front of her, only for him to appear in thin air. ''Why so angry, Shooting Star? I thought you'd be delighted at my presence''

''I hate you,'' she said as coldly as she could.

He laughed.

''Now, now, we still have time to become acquainted with each other-''

''Seriously, Bill, can you just leave me alone?'' she snapped. ''Just looking at you makes me feel horrible things I've never felt before! I don't want to see you, I don't want you near me, I just want you to go as far away as you can! I hate you!''

The room went quiet, until she was stunned suddenly finding herself being pinned against the wall.

''You need to learn some respect, young lady'' Bill said through gritted teeth, his fingers digging into wrists.

Mabel tried to shrug him away, but he was too strong. ''I don't care what you do to me! I'll always hate you!''

''No, you will listen to your master! You have no choice!'' He grabbed ahold of her cheeks with one hand while still pinning her with the other. ''In two years you will be mine, and there's nothing you can do''

Finally, he let her go, and she fell onto the ground panting heavily. Watching his every move, Mabel gently rubbed her wrists. ''You made me to that, Shooting Star. Don't tell me I'm the wrong guy''

''I didn't make you do anything'' she murmured, throwing her head back against the wall. ''I wish everyone would stop deciding for me''

''So, what? Mom and dad handed you to me so that they could have you for seventeen years of their life, boohoo'' Bill snickered. ''Life goes on, nothing's going to change''

''Of course it is, you stole my future!'' she shouted walking right in front of him.

He took a step closer, his eyes burning through hers. ''I didn't force them to summon me up, don't taint me with your dead parents' actions''

Mabel could only stand there, watching as Bill sat on the edge of her bed. ''So, I'm just supposed to keep going, knowing eventually I'll have to spend the rest of my life with you?''

''I thought you were all about positivity, shooting star'' he raised an eyebrow.

She chuckled, dryly. ''I've spend all my life smiling. I didn't even get to mourn out loud after my parents died because I was too focused on Dipper's reaction. The universe owes me this much''

''Why do that?'' She sat next to Bill, with just a good distance. ''I was to think it'd be a good time to be selfish''

''Dipper has always been the pessimistic one, so it's always been my job to pick him up. When mom and dad died, he was just in so much pain, I was afraid of what he'd do. I had to smile, let him know it was going to be okay, for both of us''

She didn't know why she was saying this now; maybe she needed someone to listen.

After a minute with no response from Bill, she could feel her eyes water. ''I think you're right, Bill. I have to accept the inevitable. No more trying to hide away from it''

''Eternity with me isn't so bad'' Bill laughed.

She simply ignored him. ''What mom and dad and grunkle Stan did can't be reversed. I need to keep going or it'll all drive me insane''

''Me too. Do you think I enjoy seeing my little toy so down?'' Bill huffed, standing up. ''Let's get out of here for a while''

''And go where?''

He extended out his hand, and after a few seconds of her not responding, he grabbed ahold of her hand. Wrapping his arm around her waist (much to her dislike), he snapped his fingers and suddenly they found themselves in the room of the Mystery Shack.

Mabel smiled, feeling the cool breeze of air gently hitting her face.

She took a seat, as Bill followed behind her. ''I missed this''

''I know you did''

Turning to look at him, she observed his relaxed features. ''Why'd you do this? Why'd you come see me?''

''don't get arrogant on me, Shooting Star'' he chuckled. ''You just happened to grow on me these past weeks, weirdly enough. Also, you're my favorite person to bother, so I thought, why not?''

She rolled her eyes. ''I still hate you, you're literally the cause of all my suffering, but thank you''

''Anything for my fiancée'' he smirked.

Mabel wanted to punch him straight in the face (and he knew it, so he laughed), but instead they spend the rest of the night in silence looking around until she awoke.

Stepping out of bed, she could see Dipper's eyes widened from across the room.

''You're right, I need to keep going'' she spoke.

All she could do was cry when he ran to her and pulled her into an embrace.

 **If you have any ideas as to where this story should head to, please leave a review. It will be much appreciated xx**


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